Polycom Boosts Wi-Fi Voice Effort With SpectraLink Acquisition

Polycom reported that it will acquire SpectraLink for $220 million in cash in a move that will bolster Polycom's drive into the nascent voice over Wi-Fi market.

The addition of SpectraLink will boost Polycom's ability to provide fixed and mobile telecommunications products covering voice, video, and data over desktop and mobile environments, according to Robert Hagerty, chairman and CEO of Polycom.

"Our customers are demanding wireless solutions in the enterprise and in the vertical markets we serve," Hagerty said Wednesday in a statement.

John Elms, president and CEO of SpectraLink, echoed Hagerty's enthusiasm and hailed the combined company's prospects of capturing market share in mobile voice-over-IP markets across enterprise and vertical markets. SpectraLink has specialized in delivering mobile and voice messaging applications to business customers.

The companies indicated they would try to sell their combined offerings -- particularly voice over Wi-Fi " to major existing customers, including Alcatel, Avaya, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, and Nortel Networks. Polycom said the new company would be able to extend Polycom's interoperability with enterprise SIP applications.