10/31/2006 -- Cisco Systems Inc. was up to its old tricks last week, snapping up privately-held Orative Corp., a provider of mobile communications software, for $31 million.

Cisco plans to incorporate Orative's Enterprise Software into its Unified Communications portfolio, which it announced earlier this year. Orative, for its part, develops mobile software that helps extend the communications and collaboration capabilities of the Unified Communications ecosystem to mobile phone users. Mobile users can tap Orative's Enterprise Software to coordinate conversations, collaborate with colleagues, view information on Unity voicemail messages, and securely access personal and corporate phone books.

Cisco plans to make mobile telephony safe for enterprise customers by incorporating Orativeís assets into several of its IP telephony products, including Cisco Unified CallManager (for call control), Cisco MeetingPlace (for collaboration), and Cisco Unity (for voicemail).

"Cisco's Unified Communications system enables businesses to leverage their Cisco networks as a platform to provide the quadruple play -- voice, video, data and mobility services -- through a superior user experience," said Cisco Senior Vice President Don Proctor in a statement. "The Orative acquisition will allow Cisco to further deliver on its promise of extending the Unified Communications experience from the network services to mobile devices."

Orative was founded in 2002 and has 33 employees. Itís based in Cisco's own backyard (San Jose), and will be incorporated into Cisco's Voice Technology Group, which is helmed by Proctor. -- Stephen Swoyer