San Francisco-based Lithium Technologies plans to employ dozens in a downtown Portland office after acquiring a piece of Jive Software.

In August, Lithium bought Jive's external communication software, a product called Jive-X. It facilitates communications between customers and companies. Some Jive employees joined Lithium in conjunction with the deal, but Lithium plans to hire more.

"The talent pool in Portland is really strong," J.C. Herrera, Lithium's senior vice president of human resources, said in a written statement. "This is why we are making the investment there. With Portland being home to so many innovative companies, including Jive, the culture of building awesome products in Portland is alive and well."

Lithium said it plans to have 40 people in an office near Pioneer Courthouse Square. The company said it is talking with Jive-X customers to determine the best way to integrate that software into Lithium's.

Jive, once Portland's signature technology company, sold last spring to a little-known Texas company called Aurea in a $462 million deal. Aurea employees work remotely, for the most part, and former Jive staff say scores of their past colleagues left following the deal. Jive once employed 200 or more at its downtown office; it's not clear how many remain.

Correction: Lithium's name is Lithium Technologies, not Lithium Technology.

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699