Tech Roundup: Cisco Offered $1 for Webex, LSI Stocks Soar, and More

Many have suspected that Cisco - arguably the largest employer in Milpitas - has been quietly trying to sell off Webex, for some time. The company has made it clear that Webex is not core to its focus since the company began restructuring and reorganizing over the past year, which has included the replacing of many executives, and aggressively recruiting new faces. Nevertheless, many couldn't help but chuckle when two-year-old startup SalesCruch this week offered Cisco $1 - yes, you read that correctly, that's one dollar - plus 15 percent equity in itself to take WebEx off its hands. SalesCrunch has made it clear that the offer stems from its desire to gain all of Webex's engineers and other personnel, and put them to work on SalesCrunch's own products. Cisco didn't take the offer very seriously, however, releasing a brief statement in response that said, "This is a cute publicity stunt from SalesCrunch, and we appreciate that they like our technology, but we have no intention of selling Webex.” SalesCrunch appears unfazed, however, and says they do expect talks with Cisco to ensue.

In other Cisco news, the company announced Thursday that it has agreed to purchase NDS Group for $5 billion. NDS is a British provider of software and services geared to pay-TV operators. Analysts are saying the move is potentially a good one, as Cisco looks to beef up its video capabilities - an area the company has struggled with for some time, particularly since deciding to shut down its Flip video camera business last year.

The future is looking rosy for Milpitas-based LSI Corp., as stocks soared Wednesday, rising by roughly 7 percent. The rise came after the company adjusted its sales outlook, citing stronger than expected demand for its hard drives, to the tune of an extra $25-35 million. LSI makes processors used in hard-disk drives and other products. Sales figures last year were less than fantastic after a devastating flood in Thailand, where many manufacturing plants are located. The flood caused a temporary shortage in the hard drive market, which now appears to be catching up.

Are you a disgruntled former employee of Solyndra, with slim to no job prospects? If so, Ohlone College wants YOU to mark your calendar for next Friday, March 23, when the college will be hosting a job fair especially for workers who lost their jobs at Solyndra. From 1-3:30 p.m., at least 10 employers are expected to participate in the job fair and meet with potential new employees - especially anyone who is near the end of their Trade Adjustment Assistance the federal government offered to former Solyndra employees to help them transition into new jobs. Companies that have expressed interest in attending include Milpitas-based Preston Pipelines, San Jose-based Xilinx and Sunnyvale-based Bloom Energy. The job fair will take place at Ohlone's Tri-City One-Stop Career Center on the Newark campus, 39339 Cherry St. For more information, e-mail sschoen@ohlone.edu.