By MATTHEW FORDAHL AP Technology Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Betting that video will drive the future of networking, Cisco Systems Inc. agreed Friday to buy the cable television technology company Scientific-Atlanta Inc. in a $6.9 billion deal that would create a one-stop shop for sending TV over the Internet.
The acquisition is expected to help fuel the revolution in how TV is distributed and watched _ a change that's accelerating as telephone companies barge into the domain of cable operators and begin offering programming over fiber-optic networks using the language of the Internet.
It also fits Cisco's strategy of moving into areas that are converging on the Internet Protocol standard _ a shift that creates an opportunity to increase revenue with new business and enhance its traditional routers and switches that direct data over networks.
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