Cisco Completes Intucell Buy, Bolsters Mobility Group

The move, Cisco said, will position it to better meet the needs of mobile operators who are looking for self-optimizing network (SON) platforms -- such as those found in Intucell's portfolio -- to optimize their LTE 4G networks to handle the growing number of mobile devices tapping into them.

"The proliferation of connected mobile devices, faster network speeds, and growing demand for high-bandwidth applications and services are driving greater network traffic and complexity," wrote Hilton Romanski, head of corporate business development at Cisco, in the company's blog. "As mobile service providers continue to face increased end-user demand, the need to dynamically manage network bandwidth, usage and services is increasing. Intucell's SON software platform addresses these challenges by examining the network, identifying issues, and intelligently managing network traffic in realtime."

[Related: Cisco Rides Data Center, Wireless To Strong Q2 ]

Cisco, which first revealed its plans to acquire Ra'anana, Israel-based Intucell in January, said Intucell employees will be integrated into Cisco's Service Provider Mobility Group. The team will report to Shailesh Shukla, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Software and Applications Group.

Intucell is the latest in a series of companies Cisco has acquired to bolster its Cisco Service Provider Mobility Group. In December, the networking giant unveiled plans to acquire BroadHop, a policy control and service management specialist, less than a month after it said it would acquire network planning and traffic management firm Cariden.

Cisco's acquisition of Intucell also underscores the growing footprint of the LTE 4G market; research firm IHS iSuppli said in a recent report it expects LTE infrastructure spending to exceed 3.5G infrastructure spending for the first time in 2013.

PUBLISHED FEB. 25, 2013