Cisco is on a small cell-related spend, this year buying Intucell, which specialises in self-optimizing network (SON) smarts, an important component in a viable small cell deployment. Now, with the addition of Ubiquisys, it has beefed itself up to add licensed (femto) capabilities to sit alongside its WiFi offerings.

Ubiquisys is a leading femtocell pioneer and currently boasts relationships with 70 carrier customers including SFR, Softbank (Japanese operator and now owner of Sprint) and T-Mobile.

The move is being seen as good and inevitable one.

“The acquisition... gives Cisco experience in working with a broader set of mobile operators." comments Daryl Schoolar, principal analyst at Ovum. "Ubiquisys provides Cisco much greater market credibility when it comes to 3G and LTE small cells. Cisco is greatly improving what it can offer mobile operators in terms of a licensed small cell [along with] data analytics, SON, and evolved packet core needed to build a mobile network. This isn’t something all of Cisco’s competitors can claim.”