Cisco to buy BroadSoft in $1.9 billion deal

(Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O), the world’s largest networking gear manufacturer, said it will buy U.S. telecommunications software company BroadSoft Inc (BSFT.O) in a deal valued at about $1.9 billion, including debt.

Cisco said it would offer $55 per share, a premium of 2 percent to BroadSoft’s last close.

The deal, which comes after Reuters first reported in August that BroadSoft was exploring a sale, would allow Cisco to further diversify from its stagnating switches and routers business by giving it a stronger foothold in selling unified communications software to big telecommunications firms.