Fluke to acquire network manager Visual Networks

Fluke Electronics Friday agreed to buy Visual Networks, a maker of software for ensuring applications such as voice over IP perform well on enterprise networks.

Fluke, a subsidiary of Danaher Corp., will pay $1.83 per share, for a total of about $75 million in cash, according to a Fluke statement. The companies expect the deal to close in the first quarter of next year.

Visual Networks, in Rockville, Md., sells products that help enterprises do network capacity planning, locate problems on networks and gather data about application performance and network security. In March it introduced a suite of products for measuring VoIP performance and optimizing enterprise networks to carry VoIP calls. Among other things, the products can measure availability, delay, jitter and bandwidth utilization. Visual Networks also offers products for managing the performance of Web-based applications and Citrix Systems enterprise application delivery software.

The company will become part of the Fluke Networks business, based in Everett, Wash. Fluke Networks provides testing, monitoring and analysis products for enterprise and carrier networks.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.