Cisco to acquire LineSider for cloud tech

Muscle up tag technology, Cisco Systems is in the process of acquisition of network management software vendor LineSider Technologies, the company announced Wednesday.

Cisco is interested in LineSider technology for rapid provisioning of network software and to its workforce of engineers. Both will help in the search for Cisco in the emerging market tag, the company said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“With the acquisition of LineSider, Cisco will gain a key component to help our customers [the] change in” cloud computing, “said Jesper Andersen, senior vice president of Cisco networking, Group Technology Management in a statement.

“Advanced LineSider software integrates network management services, physical and virtual network with a policy-based approach and makes the networks more flexible and responsive to change,” he said.

Logo LineSider OverDrive software provides an abstraction layer that allows users to easily organize and reorganize the network components. Using the policy approach based on software, organizations can create a set of rules that can reconfigure virtual networks, depending on demand.

In 2008, 3Com, Cisco partnered with LineSider competitor to offer a version of the OverDrive software to work with 3Com routers, which enable customers to virtualize their networks more easily.

Headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts, founded in 2005, LineSider has also partnered with VMware, EMC and Cisco itself.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Cisco expects to close the deal before April 2011. LineSider employees will join Cisco Technology Network Management Group.