What's next on Cisco's shopping list?

With the market still buzzing from Cisco's purchase of WebEx, TheStreet.com mused on what could be next on Cisco's shopping list. Perhaps the Web site named Akamai, for its Web optimization technologies, and J2 Global Communications, which provides Internet faxing and conference calling. Both could fit Cisco's intention to provide unified communications to businesses. Are such acquisitions likely to happen in 2008?

What happened to Qovia?

In March, Maryland newspaper Gazette.net wondered what had happened to local firm, VoIP equipment maker Qovia, which Cisco had been reported to have acquired. Ron Piovesan, a Cisco spokesman was quoted in Gazette.net as saying: "Cisco absolutely did not acquire Qovia. We acquired certain assets of Qovia, but I can't say which ones." But the paper said that Choon Shim, a Quovia co-founder and its former CTO, confirmed Cisco bought the company in January. It's still a mystery as to what exactly happened to Qovia. Its Web site is lacking info (any info) and there is little on Cisco.com about the VoIP firm.

Cisco to marry Yahoo?

A bit of a long shot but John Gartner of the Marketing Shift blog back in May wrote that a tie-up between Cisco and Yahoo, "would be a marriage made in heaven - the companies are Silicon Valley neighbors that complement each other and have very little overlap. Cisco's IP networking expertise combined with Yahoo's reach and content and social networking services would open Cisco up to a world of new customers."

He was responding to another industry fantasy - the acquisition of Yahoo by Microsoft.

Cisco bought the wrong WiMAX maker

Soon after Cisco announced its plan to buy WiMAX vendor Navini Networks, Zack Miller, vice president of investments at Profile Investments blogged that the network giant should instead buy Alvarion. While Navini has 'beamforming' technology, which ThinkEquity Partners believes is particularly attractive to Cisco, Alvarion has the largest installed base of fixed WiMAX deployments and is the only vendor currently shipping mobile WiMAX-ready base stations, wrote Miller.

He added: Miller adds: "CSCO seems to be making a technology bet if they scoop up Navini - a move that will give them a strong, but not dominating presence in WiMAX. I'd rather put my chips on ALVR, and its business and financial operating history, complete with cash on the books, and no debt."

Just Miller trying pump up his ALVR stock, or does he have a point?

So you've seen our list of Cisco's top 6 acquisitions, and the type of companies Cisco is likely to buy in the next 12 months. What do you think is in Cisco's sights for 2008, and what's your view as Cisco integrates this year's buys?