Cisco boosts network management with LineSider acquisition

Monday, December 13, 2010

Cisco recently announced it has acquired network management software vendor LineSider, a company whose products help businesses build network services to deploy cloud computing infrastructures.

Cisco said the acquisition will bolster its cloud computing portfolio, allowing it to work more service management partners.

Industry analyst Jim Metzler called the acquisition an "interesting" move by Cisco, as the company often treats network management as a secondary concern to its more prevalent offerings, VoIP and unified communications.

"At times, it appears as if Cisco's enterprise switching and routing business unit is closer to third party network management vendors, such as CA, than it is to its own Network Management Technology Group," Metzler wrote for Network World.

However, Metzler says the acquisition makes sense, as Cisco is attempting to integrate its networking, storage and servers solutions - a goal which LineSider should help it achieve.

Though the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Cisco first announced its intent to acquire LineSider earlier this month, noting that LineSider employees would join Cisco's Network Management Technology Group.