Over the past year, Tandberg Television has acquired a number of television infrastructure companies. The list includes VOD infrastructure provider N2 Broadband, interactive TV technology and services provider GoldPocket Interactive, IPTV content delivery company SkyStream Networks and Internet video company Zetools.

Now, Arris (a smaller company) armed with VoIP technologies and broadband data network equipment has decided to gobble up Tandberg for approximately $1.2 billion. The merged company will try to compete more effectively against Cisco and Motorola.

Tandberg and Arris are touting the acquisition as enabling "a new company, unique in its ability to enable voice, video and data over any network and to any device."

According to the companies, their merger will result in a new company with over 1,600 employees and over 2,000 customers in more than 100 countries.