(Telecompaper) Cisco has announced its intention to acquire San Jose-based cloud management software specialist CliQr for USD 260 million. CliQr provides an application-defined cloud orchestration platform to model, deploy and manage applications across bare metal, virtualised and container environments. Cisco said the startup's technology will help its customers simplify and accelerate their private, public and hybrid cloud deployments. The networking giant expects the CliQr acquisition to close in the third quarter of its fiscal with the CliQr team joining Cisco's Insieme Business Unit as part of the deal.