Buy Helps Cisco Unify Voicemail, E-Mail, Fax Services Over Internet Platform

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, May 17, 1999

San Jose, Calif.-based networking firm Cisco Systems Inc. will pay $170 million to acquire privately-held middleware specialist Amteva Technologies Inc. of Glen Allen, Va. Amteva's middleware enables users to unify voicemail, email and fax traffic into a single mailbox accessible over an Internet-based network independent of location, time or device.

For enterprise customers, Cisco says it will combine solutions from its acquisitions of Selsius, GeoTel, and Amteva to "provide basic voice services and advanced voice functionality such as call center and unified communication over a single, standards-based network at minimum cost with maximum flexibility."