Cisco Systems agreed to acquire Parc Technologies, a start-up developing traffic engineering (TE) solutions and software for routing optimization, for approximately $9 million in cash.
Parc is a spin off from a renowned center for research into search algorithms based at Imperial College, University of London. Parc’s Route Server algorithms address network routing problems involving complex Quality of Service constraints. Parc’s technology will be used by Cisco in the planning and optimization of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) TE. Specifically, Cisco will gain Parc’s Route Server Software for Primary and Backup MPLS TE tunnel placement, and also a hybrid optimization algorithm development platform. Parc’s Route Server software will be incorporated into Cisco’s MPLS Management product portfolio and will be made available as part of Cisco’s IP Solution Center (ISC). The integrated solution will compute and provision optimized traffic paths for both primary and fast restoration backup traffic.
Upon close of the acquisition, the Parc team led by CEO Gideon Agar will report to Cliff Meltzer, senior vice president, Network Management Technology Group. http://www.cisco.comRecent Cisco acquisitions have included:
- June 2004– Actona Technologies, a start-up developing software that facilitates data management across geographically distributed offices, for approximately $82 million in cash.
- June 2004 — Procket Networks, a start-up specializing in core routing technology, for approximately $89 million in cash.
- March 2004 — Riverhead Networks, a start-up based in Cupertino, California for its security technology that protects against Distributed Denial of Service (“DDoS”) attacks and other security threats in enterprise and service provider networks, for approximately $39 million in cash.
- March 2004 — Twingo Systems, a start-up developing desktop security solutions for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), for approximately $5 million in cash.