Cisco snaps up Worklife

Networking giant grabs online meeting software specialist for undisclosed sum

Cisco is adding more power to its collaborative software might with the acquisition of privately held Worklife.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, adds to Cisco's growing stable of collaboration software developers including Collaborate.com, Assemblage, Tropo, Acano and Synata. It also acquired WebEx for $3.2bn (£2.6bn) in 2007.

Rob Salvagno, vice president of corporate business development at Cisco, said in a blog: "We are excited to welcome a team with a vision that is so complementary to Cisco's own collaboration strategy, namely, to provide the best collaboration experience across every touch point, every space, and for every employee.

"With the Worklife team onboard, we see an opportunity to build on the virtual meeting experience that the Cisco Spark platform currently provides, and enhance meeting productivity across the board. For example, we can start offering additional tools, tightly integrated into Cisco Spark, to help users track calendars, create agenda templates, and collaborate on note taking in real time during a meeting. Together, we can drive a better meeting experience for all our users."

Dave Kashen, founder and CEO of Worklife, said the move was a positive one for its existing customers.

"In just two short years, we've been thrilled to see Worklife adopted by teams at over 13,000 organisations from small start-ups to large enterprises; from local schools to international non-profits," he said.

"With its WebEx and Cisco Spark products, Cisco is one of the leading companies in collaboration technology. In joining Cisco, we will be able to bring many more resources to bear towards our shared vision of helping teams work better together. Going forward, we will integrate tightly into Cisco's collaboration suite so that you can have one integrated solution for highly effective meetings - before, during and after your meetings."

Under the deal Worklife's premium features will now be completely free for all users with immediate effect.