Cisco to buy software company Intucell for $475M

Cisco Systems plans to buy Israeli software company Intucell for $475 million

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Cisco Systems, the world's biggest maker of computer networking gear, plans to buy Israeli software company Intucell for about $475 million in cash to bolster its mobile networking capabilities.

Privately held Intucell offers software that helps mobile carriers plan, configure, manage and optimize their cellular networks automatically.

Last month Cisco CEO John Chambers said in a strategy statement that the San Jose, Calif., company wants to become the "No. 1" supplier of information technology to big businesses by broadening its offerings of services and software.

Apart from IBM, Cisco's chief competitors are Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., SAG AG and Hewlett-Packard Co. Cisco partners closely with all of them, except HP.

The deal for Intucell also includes retention-based incentives, Cisco said Wednesday.

Employees of privately held Intucell will join Cisco's service provider mobility group once the acquisition is complete.

The buyout is targeted to close in Cisco's fiscal third quarter, which ends in September.