Infrastructure vendor Alcatel-Lucent said that it has taken its relationship with software firm Motive to the next level, agreeing to buy the firm for a cash price of $67.8m.

US-based Motive develops service management software for broadband and mobile data platforms, and the acquisition builds on a three year relationship between the companies.

Previously, Alcatel-Lucent and Motive had jointly developed remote management software for automating the deployment, configuration and support of home networking devices and residential gateways. They share more than 40 customers including AT&T, Verizon, BT, Vodafone Portugal and Swisscom.

“This strategic combination is a natural evolution of our existing relationship and provides Motive the scale needed to meet the long-term needs of our customers,” said Alfred Mockett, chairman and CEO of Motive. “Alcatel-Lucent and Motive have a complementary worldwide footprint of customers and partners, and a history of working together to help ensure the success of our joint customers.  With this acquisition, Motive gains access to capital, technology and people necessary to deliver on our commitments and ensure a secure future for our customers.”