Cisco to takeover Nokia: Report

By agencies   |   Monday, 08 August 2005, 19:30 IST
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LONDON:Cisco Systems Inc. is considering buying the world's top mobile handset maker Nokia in a bid to gain its wireless infrastructure technology, the Business newspaper reported on Sunday. The paper, which did not reveal the source of its information, said U.S.-based Cisco had traditionally concentrated on acquisitions of niche technology players, but its Chief Executive John Chambers is believed to be interested in merging with a wireless infrastructure company. "Nokia has been identified as the most likely target," the paper said. Cisco, the largest maker of Internet equipment, is worth around $123 billion (69 billion), while Nokia's market value is around $71 billion. The paper said Cisco's mainstay networking market was fast changing with the convergence of fixed-line and wireless networks, and Cisco needed a merger to acquire the technology to create intelligent wireless applications, which Finnish-based Nokia could provide. Cisco declined to comment. A Nokia spokeswoman in Helsinki also declined to comment.