Vina to buy Woodwind
 
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In a deal combining two integrated-access device vendors, Vina Technologies Tuesday announced it plans to buy Woodwind Communications Systems.
The deal brings Vina voice-over-IP expertise and enables it to drop an agreement that had it reselling another vendor's gear under the Vina label.
Woodwind brings about 20 engineers with expertise in voice over IP, which will enable Vina to expand its offerings beyond voice over TDM or ATM links. Vina and Woodwind make customer-site equipment that concentrates voice and data over T-1 lines or DSL loops.
The acquisition of Woodwind brings Vina two boxes known as Piccolo and ClariNet, which support voice over IP, ATM and frame relay. The gear is software-upgradable to switch among the various transport protocols.
Vina is renaming the Piccolo the eLink-100. This replaces a similar piece of equipment made by Polycom that Vina was going to sell under that name.
The ClariNet is renamed the MultiService Exchange 400 (MX-400), which is effectively a smaller version of Vina's original MultiService Exchange that has no model number. The original supports up to 144 voice channels if compression is used. The MX-400 supports up to 12 analog voice ports and data over a T-1 or DSL link.
Vina is paying 4.9 million shares of stock worth about $45 million for Woodwind. The deal is expected to close within 90 days.
The products of both companies are designed for small businesses or branch offices.
Vina: www.vina-tech.com.
Woodwind: www.woodwindcom.com.
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