The $19 million acquisition will help Artisoft add enterprise products to its lineup Artisoft Inc. has agreed to acquire Vertical Networks Inc. for as much as $19 million in cash in a deal that will create a vendor of IP (Internet Protocol) telephony software for call centers, medium-sized businesses and large enterprises.The acquisition of privately held Vertical, based in Sunnyvale, California, is expected to close within several business days, subject to completion of financing arrangements, the approval of Vertical shareholders and other customary conditions, according to an Artisoft statement.Artisoft, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sells the TeleVantage suite of software for IP PBXs (private branch exchanges) in medium-sized businesses as well as call centers. Through the acquisition, it aims to expand its customer base and add enterprise products to its lineup. Vertical sells InstantOffice, an IP PBX platform for large retail, pharmacy, financial services and health care companies with remote locations. Following the acquisition, the combined company will be based in Cambridge. Artisoft Chairman William Tauscher will be chairman and chief executive officer. Vertical’s co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO), Scott Pickett, will be CTO of the combined company, which will keep a significant development, sales and marketing presence in Sunnyvale, Artisoft said. It will have approximately 150 employees. Technology Industry