Cisco Systems is interested in buying Nokia. What a strange marriage that would be, but there are some reasons to believe MarketWatch rumor:
The move is part of Cisco’s effort to increase its wireless infrastructure technology, according to the newspaper, which did not identify the source of its information. The report said 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, and Nokia has been identified as a likely target.
Update: BusinessWeek offers more insightful analysis:
It’s an audacious project, one with the potential to make Linksys more of a household name — maybe not as a maker of phones, TVs, and cameras, but as the company that makes them all work together. With the number of networked homes expected to rise from 2.5 million in 2004 to 21.6 million in 2009, according to IDC analyst Jonathan Gaw, there’s a rich potential market.