By Simon Quicke
23 July 2008
Cisco has announced plans to splash out $120m on Pure Networks, a home networks management specialist, in a bid to bolster its position in the market for services by professionals working remotely.
The vendor has already been working with Pure, which provides the software used in the Linksys Easy Link Advisor and the main reason for the purchase is the option to use Pure’s management technology to open up home networks to support from service providers, which ideally could include resellers.
In a statement, Ned Hopper, senior vice president for Cisco’s Corporate Development and Consumer Group, said that home networking was evolving to become something much more substantial and significant.
“With the rapid proliferation of networking technology and new consumer electronics devices the ability to quickly and easily connect to a range of devices, content and services throughout the home is becoming paramount to achieving a satisfying consumer experience,” he said.
The lines between the home and business markets are already blurring providing those with a track record in the retail side of the business to move over to the business space without the problems with brand connotations that might have existed in the past.
One source said that as home working increased and the technical demands from home customers also grew it was becoming a market that resellers could engage with as the smaller end of the SME market blurred into the home user space.
Linksys UK were unavailable for further comment.
