Logitech International has announced the acquisition of VoIP and videoconferencing startup SightSpeed for around USD $30 million.
The deal is expected to close in early November, following completion of standard closing procedures and conditions.
In a release, the Swiss manufacturer of PC peripherals said the addition of SightSpeed’s video technology and research and development team would allow it to develop new video solutions for the home market.
SightSpeed’s software has received widespread praise and sits at the core of Dell’s Video Chat application. The service allows people to make video calls, computer-to-computer voice calls, and calls to regular telephones, with free and paid versions.
Logitech claimed the merger would produce "future video calling initiatives that can enable cross-platform video communications with an intuitive, lifelike experience, for people sitting in front of a personal computer or with their family in a living room".
Logitech, perhaps best known for computer mice it makes, already sells high-end video cameras for online video conferencing and chat, and some VoIP equipment as well.
Junien Labrousse, executive vice president of Logitech’s Products group, said: "With this acquisition, we are significantly augmenting our current video R&D resources to help us move more quickly toward our goals for video services that complement the way people socialize, communicate and enjoy entertainment."
SightSpeed’s 25 employees currently work out of offices in Fremont, California, where Logitech’s US HQ is situated.
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