Cisco adds Webline to portfolio for $325 million

Cisco Systems dished out another $325 million this week

for its latest acquisition. This time, Cisco said it had bought closely

held Webline Communications, which develops software for advanced e-mail

routing, such as allowing companies to track incoming customer e-mails

similar to tracking phone calls in a customer service center, sending them

to the proper departments, such as customer service, accounting and

others.

Webline, also markets an innovative technology that lets customer

service representatives and customers synchronize Web pages on a single

Web site so they are looking at the same thing at the same time. The

software works by synchronizing the web pages of both the customer and

customer service agent, letting them work together to solve a problem or

order products like the e-mail routing system.