Cisco has agreed to buy cloud collaboration startup Assemblage as the networking firm aims to develop collaboration products that integrate with cloud apps.
San Francisco-based Assemblage, which provides real-time collaboration apps for shared white boarding, presentation broadcasting and screen sharing, allows users to collaborate via their browser without having to depend on downloads, plugins or installations.
Cisco, whose cloud collaboration suite consists of WebEx and Jabber, is hoping the deal will help it make new collaboration products that integrate with third party cloud apps like Google and Box.
"Assemblage’s experience integrating with third party cloud ecosystem applications like Box and Google shows a close alignment to Cisco’s collaboration strategy and our commitment to simplicity and interoperability," Cisco’s head of business development Hilton Romanski said.
He added that Assemblage’s products support at least 40 different file types and that Assemblage’s engineers will join Cisco’s Collaboration Technology Group as part of the deal.
The buyout comes a few weeks after Cisco announced plans to buy networking software maker Tail-f for $175m to boost its network management and automation capability.
