I have no insider information and I have heard nothing on the grapevine that would indicate a sell-off is imminent. But The Register in the UK posted a rumor that Cisco plans to sell both Linksys and WebEx in a move to divest consumer-oriented product lines.
IF this turns into fact rather than idle speculation, it will be absolutely fascinating to see who has the capital and the will to take ownership of WebEx. Four years ago, Cisco paid almost three billion dollars for WebEx. Will they make back their investment, or sell it for a loss?
Would IBM buy WebEx? Would Cisco even sell to IBM? I don’t think so. Oracle is an intriguing possibility. And then there’s always InterCall / West Corporation, which has been on a conferencing annexation spree over the last decade unseen since Hannibal took his elephants out for a stroll over the Alps. I am sure they would love to get WebEx as a proprietary solution (in which case, watch out resellers!), but I don’t think they have enough cash.
What do you think? Unfounded hogwash, or just a matter of time? Who is your pick for a new owner?
