Cisco intends to acquire Intucell, a privately held Israeli company that creates self-optimizing network (SON) software, used to configure, optimize and repair cellular networks. It will blend the acquisition’s portfolio into its Service Provider Mobility Group. Cisco, which paid $475 million in case and retention-based incentives for Intucell, apparently desires an SON platform capable of supporting multiple applications and devices on a widely dispersed network. Intucell’s software can examine such a network, identify any pressing issues, and manage large amounts of network traffic in order to ensure that everything continues to run smoothly—something that could prove useful to Cisco’s enterprise and carrier clients. "The mobile network of the future must be able to scale intelligently to address growing and often unpredictable traffic patterns, while also enabling carriers to generate incremental revenue streams," Kelly Ahuja, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Service Provider Mobility Group, wrote in a Jan. 23 statement. Over the past several months, Cisco has made several acquisitions with an eye toward strengthening its networking presence. In November it acquired Meraki, which sold everything from Ethernet switches and security appliances to a mobile device management platform and wireless LAN; that same month, it also snatched up Cloupia, a privately held software company that offered tools for automating converged data-center infrastructure. In 2012, it also bought makers of SDN technology (vCider) and data-analytics vendors (ThinkSmart). Even as Cisco builds out a networking portfolio for enterprises, there have been rumors it intends to get out of the home-networking segment. Back in December, unnamed sources told Bloomberg that Cisco was considering a selloff of its Linksys division, which offers routers and various accessories for home networks and small businesses—but if such a move is indeed in the works, the company hasn’t announced anything yet.   Image: Shutter_M/Shutterstock.com