Logitech, the Swiss mouse maker, is beefing up its peripherals business with the $125m acquisition of Labtec, a US rival.

Labtec brings to the table around $100m in annual sales, and a good brand name in audio peripherals and technology.

The company flogs PC speakers, PC headsets, and personal audio for portable MP3 players. Logitech has a massive presence in computer retail; with Labtec under its wing, the company could give Creative Labs a run for its money as the pre-eminent supplier of branded peripherals to the consumer and OEM sectors. ®