It was reported that Cisco Systems, Inc. is considering buying Skype Technologies S.A. before it enters into its planned IPO later this year. Skype officials are in planning stages for their expected IPO. But reports are circulating that Cisco Systems may derail those plans by buying the firm. TechCrunch reported that according to one of our more reliable sources, Cisco officials have made an offer to Skype to buy the company before it completes the IPO process, and that people inside Skype are looking at a $5 billion price tag. Theres no indication whether Ciscos initial offer is anywhere close to that figure.

Computer Sciences Corporation announced it is expanding its alliance with the Virtual Computing Environment coalition (VCE), an unprecedented collaboration of Cisco Systems, Inc. and EMC Corporation with VMware, Inc. to develop a new global solutions unit and create centers of excellence based on VCE's Vblock infrastructure. In addition, CSC and the VCE coalition have committed new resources in engineering, sales and support for customers to test VCE-enabled offerings through CSC's specialized Centers of Excellence in Chantilly, Va., Aldershot, England and Sydney, Australia within the next 90 days. CSC now provides a fully-integrated, seamless and secure transition to the cloud that combines its industry-leading transformational consulting, service oriented architecture (SOA), applications modernization and refactoring and trusted cloud managed services with VCE's Vblock platform, the best and most secure fabric to deliver client applications and business processes through an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model.

Cisco has collaborated with NET Servicos to expand its set-top box presence in the Brazilian video market. Initial deployment plans will be for the digital video broadcasting high-definition digital server (DVB HD), Cisco 4682DVB HD Digital Interactive Media Server, which supports the delivery of high-definition video and audio programming. Cisco's technology enables NET to offer Brazilian consumers with new services through the incorporation of data over cable service interface specification broadband modem technology built into the Cisco set-top box. The new media center will be customized to deliver NET's complete set of video services, including high-definition television (HDTV), 3D television, video-on-demand, electronic programming guides, and interactive games, according to Cisco. The USB 2.0 port within the set-top box enables connectivity to peripheral consumer electronic devices. Future enhancements planned for joint development include digital video recording capabilities. The supply of the set-top box equipment is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2011, and will be available thereafter to NET subscribers who order NET triple-play services. The products to be sold to NET will be manufactured in Brazil. Cisco will provide NET with a fully customized product.