Cisco Acquires Modcam for Meraki MV Smart Camera Business

Cisco Systems has acquired Modcam, a privately held, video analytics company that transforms networked cameras into smart cameras. The deal aligns with Cisco's Meraki MV smart camera business. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is M&A deal 311 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2020.

Modcam's team will tuck into the Cisco Meraki MV smart camera business. That business already offers motion detection and machine learning-based object detection, all of which run at the edge, in-camera, according to Chris Stori, senior VP and GM of Cisco Meraki.

Looking ahead, Modcam will allow partners and customers to pull together data from multiple Meraki cameras -- giving users a complete view of that data, Stori indicates.

For instance, Stori says, Modcam will allow customers to leverage "collaborative, cross-camera analytics that allow retailers to better understand customer behaviors — from products of interest to check out wait times."

Also, he says, "facilities managers and office space planners can better measure occupancy and room usage, while using trend data to optimize space utilization that can create safer working practices."

Cisco is quick to note that individual user privacy will be maintained -- essentially the company's vow to avoid recent facial recognition controversies that have rocked various Artificial Intelligence technologies.

Cisco Acquisitions: Recent Purchases and Buyouts

Despite the coronavirus economy, Cisco has remained active in the acquisition market. Recent company purchases include:

Cisco will provide an overall business update when the networking company announces quarterly results on August 12, 2020.