Maureen O'Gara

Cisco is buying the Israeli software company Intucell for $475 million in cash and retention incentives.

It does advanced self-optimizing network software so mobile carriers can automate the planning, configuration and management of their cellular networks.

"The mobile network of the future must be able to scale intelligently to address growing and often unpredictable traffic patterns, while also enabling carriers to generate incremental revenue streams," Cisco said. "Through the addition of Intucell's industry-leading SON technology, Cisco's service provider mobility portfolio provides operators with unparalleled network intelligence and the unique ability to not only accommodate exploding network traffic, but to profit from it."

Cisco said service providers have to respond to the proliferation of connected mobile devices, faster network speeds and the growing demand for high-bandwidth applications and services that are driving greater network traffic and complexity.

Intucell's software examines the network, identifies issues in real-time and adapts the network to meet demand.

The acquisition should close in Q3 and become part of Cisco's Service Provider Mobility Group.