US-headquartered software and services provider Amdocs lined up an acquisition of software vendor Openet for around $180 million, tipping the deal to boost its cloud and 5G charging capabilities.

In a statement, Amdocs said the companies’ joint efforts would help service providers “differentiate in the 5G era”, by delivering advances in cloud, edge compute, IoT and customer experience.

Amdocs CEO Shuky Sheffer stated adding Republic of Ireland-based Openet to its portfolio was in line with its “mission to accelerate the industry’s move to the cloud”, with the business bringing “world-class cloud-native capabilities, network pedigree, and deep 5G charging, policy and data management expertise”.

Niall Norton, CEO of Openet, added the move was happening at an optimal time, explaining Amdocs’ calibre, resources and reach would open doors for “significant and widespread opportunities across each of our disciplines”.

Completion of the deal is expected before the end of Q4, subject to conditions, when the exact final amount will be made known.

The acquisition comes two years after Openet settled a near decade long patent dispute with Amdocs, The Irish Times reported.