SAN JOSE, Calif., May 21, 2007 – Cisco Systems is expanding its video surveillance offerings by buying privately-held BroadWare Technologies, a provider of IP-based video surveillance software, for an undisclosed fee.
BroadWare’s software enables Web-based monitoring, management, recording and storage of audio and video that can be accessed anywhere by authorized users. Founded in 1995, BroadWare has 38 employees, with offices in Santa Clara, Calif. and McLean, Va.
Cisco said the purchase will be able to help customers easily gain access to live and recorded surveillance video for faster investigation response and event resolution. It also said the acquisition complements Cisco’s existing video surveillance product offering, which provides a smooth migration path from analog surveillance video to a digital network solution.
By using the IP network as a platform to converge applications, companies can easily integrate and synchronize video with other safety and security systems as well as other business tools, Cisco said. This creates the opportunity for new innovative capabilities to be delivered, maximizing the value of live and recorded surveillance video.
“Cisco views the video surveillance infrastructure market as an immediate high growth opportunity that requires the ability to support both IP and analog device installations,” said Marthin De Beer, senior vice-president of Cisco’s Emerging Market Technologies Group (EMTG). “Through the acquisition of BroadWare, Cisco will be able address both existing and greenfield video surveillance opportunities.”
The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to close by July 27.
