Cisco Want to Get ExtendMedia

Cisco is planning to acquire content management specialist ExtendMedia (News - Alert), a privately-held software maker whose products help service providers deliver video-over-IP networks.

According to TheStreet.com, Enrique Rodriguez, senior vice president of Cisco's (News - Alert) Service Provider Video Technology Group, said "As the video market transitions and consumers expect multi-screen engagement, service providers are enhancing their infrastructure to manage and deliver video to any device. ExtendMedia will strengthen Cisco's position in the delivery of IP video services by enabling service providers to provide a more interactive and personal experience."

ExtendMedia's technology is used to manage video content for ad-supported Web sites, TheStreet.com explains, adding that the Newton, Massachusetts-based firm “has already worked with AT&T (News - Alert) and Bell Canada.”

BusinessWeek wrote that “Cisco, best known for networking routers and switches, said owning ExtendMedia will help it deliver video over the Internet as consumers come to expect video on a variety of devices.”

It noted that in recent years, “Cisco has bought dozens of companies, including makers of TV set-top boxes and cameras that people use to share videos on social websites.”

Cisco has been making a major push into video, TheStreet says, “acquiring Norwegian videoconferencing specialist Tandberg (News - Alert) for $3.41 billion last year, which followed the $590 million purchase of Flip camera maker Pure Digital.”

 Cisco is “in a unique position because of our acquisition of Scientific Atlanta five years ago... we're obviously one of the world's leading Internet infrastructure companies, and also obviously a major player in the MPEG-2 and IPTV (News - Alert) video architectures through our service provider video technology group," said Kip Compton, general manager video and content platforms business unit at Cisco, according to FierceIPTV. "I think you're going to see us reacting to service providers who are looking to us to help them migrate through this transition to IP video.”

David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.

Edited by Marisa Torrieri