Will Cisco Social Media Deals Impact Enterprise?

Cisco Systems sealed a deal this week to purchase software assets from, and acquire employees of, social-networking site operator Utah Street Networks. The networking equipment giant also finalized its acquisition Five Across, originally announced in February. Five Across makes social-networking and forum software to help companies improve communications with customers.

The enterprise impact of its moves remains to be seen (read NWC's analysis at right).

Cisco said it would incorporate Utah Street Networks, which operates the locally focused social-networking site Tribe.net, into its Cisco Media Solutions Group (CMSG). That group was started in December 2006 to create and promote infrastructure products for consumer content providers. Cisco said, however, that it would not integrate Tribe.net site itself. It provided no financial details for the Utah Street Networks transaction.Five Across, Cisco's other social-networking deal, sells a software platform called Connect 1.8 Community Builder to corporate clients. The software speeds the development and deployment of online forums. When the acquisition was announced last month, Five Across had just 11 employees. The Five Across software and its employees will also be integrated into the CMSG team, headed by Dan Scheinman, Cisco senior vice president and general manager.