Dell Acquires AppAssure, Cisco to Buy Lightwire

Two powerhouse IT companies announced today they are acquiring smaller companies to leverage their cloud technology and optical networking specialization.

Dell Acquires AppAssure - Dell purchased AppAssure to gain technology that delivers reliable application recovery from customers’ servers to their data center and their cloud.

Dell will add AppAssure’s technology to its storage and software portfolios, enabling it to offer backup and recovery software that protects a company’s entire application infrastructure. Dell expects the move to enhance its existing storage capabilities by providing customers confidence that their applications and data are fully protected.

Cisco Announces its Intent to Acquire Lightwire, Inc. - Cisco Systems (CSCO) will be acquiring Lightwire, a privately held company that develops advanced optical interconnect technology for high-speed networking applications.

Lightwire, located in Pennsylvania, has made innovations in optical interconnects by integrating multiple high-speed active and passive optical functions onto a small silicon chip. The smaller size, lower power consumption and scalability of Lightwire's CMOS-based technology enable switches, routers and optical transport systems to have higher-density optical connectivity at a lower cost, allowing carriers to further reduce their operational and capital costs and offer new revenue-generating services.

The acquisition will allow Cisco to deliver cost-effective, high-speed networks with the next generation of optical connectivity, allowing service provider and data center customers to meet the growing demands of video, data, voice, mobility and cloud services.