Cisco has announced its intention to acquire privately-held ExtendMedia, a leading provider of software-based Content Management Systems that manage the entire lifecycle of video content through monetisation for pay media and ad-supported business models.
Based in Newton, Massachusetts, with the majority of its employee base in Toronto, ExtendMedia will enable Cisco to help service providers deliver multi-screen offerings as the market transitions to IP video, Cisco 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 while providing a rich user experience,” said Enrique Rodriguez, senior vice president and general manager, Cisco’s Service Provider Video Technology Group.
“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 and to optimise quality for consumer viewing devices.”
ExtendMedia brings to Cisco a strong software team that understands the complexities of delivering multi-screen video over IP networks. ExtendMedia’s CMS software, which will integrate with Cisco’s current IP video offerings, will be a core component of Cisco’s next-generation video architecture. Together, Cisco and ExtendMedia will enable service providers to deploy a next-generation, end-to-end video architecture that delivers the best consumer experience with access to any content, over any network, on any device.
Financial terms of the transaction are undisclosed. The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to be complete in the first half of Cisco’s fiscal year 2011. Upon the close of the acquisition, the majority of the ExtendMedia team will be integrated into Cisco.