Israel’s Allot Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALLT]]), which optimizes data traffic and performance for both fixed and mobile broadband networks, says it is acquiring San Diego-based Ortiva Wireless, which specializes in optimizing video streaming across wireless networks. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Ortiva CEO Marc Zionts, who was working to finalize the deal this afternoon, referred questions about the acquisition to officials at Allot, which is based near Tel Aviv, in Hod Hasharon, Israel. In response to a question about Ortiva’s local operations, Zionts says the company plans to keep its office in University City post-acquisition, and will likely grow beyond its current 41 employees.
The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter.
“The teams are very similar,” Zionts says. “We both have lots of talented people who are passionate about what they do and are excited about working with customers.” He notes that Allot CEO Rami Hadar was a co-founder of San Diego’s Ensemble Communications, where he worked for many years with Allot CTO Jay Klein. Ensemble specialized in broadband wireless access equipment.
In fact, Zionts says he also sees lots of similarities between Tel Aviv and San Diego. Both cities are both set against a sea and enjoy a Mediterranean climate. The local economies also are similar, Zionts says. Both depend largely on the military, tourism, Information Technology, and life sciences industries.
In a statement released