Cisco acquires NDS Group for $5 billion

Cisco is acquiring the UK based NDS Group for a whopping $5 billion! NDS Group (owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and PE firm Permira) makes software for pay-TV channels so Cisco will be using the acquisition to grow their Videoscape product for online media providers.

5,000 NDS employees will join Cisco’s Video Technology business including operations in India, China, Israel, France and the UK.

Both boards have approved of the deal, but of course it’s subject to a regulatory review which is due for completion Q3/Q4 2012. Still, it’s must be a welcome move for NDS who had about $1.04 billion in debt as of September 2011.

Further details can be found on Bloomberg’s New Site.