ARN

Polycom scoops up Accord Networks

Videoconferencing equipment vendor Polycom gave itself a US$339 million Christmas present with its acquisition of Accord Networks, which makes networking hardware for connecting disparate video systems.

Already one of the leaders in the videoconferencing endpoint business, the purchase of Accord will help Polycom expand its reach into the corporate network and enable it to offer hardware for connecting systems as well as the systems themselves. Polycom already has a division that manufactures DSL aggregators for service providers and sees Accord as a the next step.

"We started as a speaker phone company then moved to endpoint and integrated access devices, so the next step in our evolution would be into the core of the corporate networks," says Gary Alt, vice president and general manager of Polycom's Network Systems Division.

Accord Networks offers gateways for connecting H.323 (IP), H.320 (ISDN) and ATM-based systems as well as multipoint control units that connect multiple parties into a single conference.

Alt says Accord will still maintain its management autonomy with the only major change being Accord CEO Jules DeVigne will report to Polycom CEO Bob Hagerty. The combined company will have around 700 employees.

The stock swap deal is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. Polycom will swap 6.26 million shares of its stock for Accord's, as well as an additional 1.51 million shares for outstanding warrants and options.

Come socialise with us! Facebook | LinkedIn

More about: Accord Networks, Polycom

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the ARN comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
ARN Directory | Distributors relevant to this article
Transition Systems Australia , Wavelink , Westcon Group
ARN Directory | Vendors relevant to this article
Polycom
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to ARN's news, research and invitation only events.
ARN Distributor Directory
Find distributors by name | vendor | location
Channel Deals
/deals/synnex/425_lenovo-february-and-march-hot-deal-3
Synnex

Lenovo February and March Hot Deal 3

More details »
ARN Vendor Directory
Find vendors by name | category

iAsset is a channel management ecosystem that automates all major aspects of the entire sales,marketing and service process, including data tracking, integrated learning, knowledge management and product lifecycle management.