CSCO: Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire Tivella

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) - Cisco today announced a definitive agreement to acquire the privately held company, Tivella, Inc. of Half Moon Bay, California. Tivella is a leading provider of digital signage software and systems.

Digital signage is an emerging technology that has the potential to transform the customer experience and to promote richer communications. Digital signage is quickly gaining traction as companies face a variety of challenges. These include revenue and growth, building and maintaining brand identity and customer loyalty, and effectively reaching target audiences with advertising and marketing. Companies conducting deployments of digital signage solutions have clearly demonstrated higher brand awareness and sales uplift by targeting relevant information to an audience near the point of purchase.

"We feel there is enormous potential for digital signage to be integrated into our existing enterprise streaming and live video broadcasting platform," said Marthin De Beer, Senior Vice President of Cisco's Emerging Market Technologies Group. "This will allow Cisco to provide live video, video-on-demand, and other rich media content to desktops and digital signage displays using IP for applications such as targeted communications, advertising, and training."

The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2007.

Tivella was founded 2001 and has 10 employees based primarily in Milpitas, CA, with Corporate offices in Half Moon Bay, CA.

Upon close of the transaction the Tivella team and product portfolio will be integrated in Cisco's Emerging Markets Technology Group, reporting into De Beer.