Cisco buys web content specialist

Networking giant Cisco aims to boost its ability to manage large amounts of internet traffic with its planned $210m acquisition of web content delivery specialist, Netiverse.

Cisco, which already owns 20 per cent of the company, said the purchase would allow it to offer customers added capabilities for distributing web content. Netiverse's technology, which was developed specifically for use across multiple product lines, will be integrated into Cisco's existing content networking systems.

The acquisition is expected to help Cisco broaden its portfolio of network products for delivering faster web content as well as to better compete in the web traffic management market. That sector is expected to be worth $2bn in 2003 from $500m this year.

Netiverse is the 13th company Cisco has acquired this year. Last month Cisco acquired ArrowPoint Communications for about $4.7mn in stock. ArrowPoint's switches route requests for web content or online transactions to the computer best able to handle the request. Cisco has said it plans to buy between 20 and 25 firms this year.

Guruaj Singh, chief executive of Netiverse, along with the company's 34 employees, will join the workgroup business unit in Cisco's enterprise line of business.