Dell announced on Monday that it will purchase Zing Systems, a manufacturer of streaming audio technology.
Zing currently licenses its technology to SanDisk, for the Sansa Connect MP3 player, and Sirius, for its Stiletto 100 product.
Privately held Zing is based in California, and all 120 of its employees are expected to be retained by Dell, according to David Frink, a spokesman for the PC maker.
Dell's latest streak of buying three companies within a matter of weeks — SilverBack Technologies, Asap Software and Zing — contrasts with its history of making very few acquisitions.
Dell says it is part of its plan to expand its retail offerings.
"We're looking at companies that can expand our capability to provide great product experiences," said Frink. "We think this is a company that can provide a great technology and entertainment experience."
Though it axed its own-branded MP3 player earlier this year, Dell currently sells several different brands of portable media devices, including the Sansa Connect, as well as devices from Creative Technology, Samsung Electronics, Sony, Microsoft and Archos.
