Mergers and acquisitions - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• IBM buying National Interest Security Company

  Hoping to get a bigger piece of the U.S. defense budget, IBM announced Wednesday that it is buying security and analytics consultancy National Interest Security Company for an undisclosed sum.

• Programmed's takeover of KLM Group set to go ahead

  The takeover of communications infrastructure services company KLM (ASX:KLM) by Programmed Maintenance Services (ASX:PRG) looks set to go ahead with the latter announcing it now has a relevant interest in KLM of 92.31 per cent.

• Oracle-Sun merger foes head East

  With the European Commission seen as virtually certain to approve Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems in just a week, those campaigning to prevent the deal encompassing Sun's MySQL database unit have shifted their efforts to regulators in Russia and China.

• Avaya lays out Nortel migration road map

  Avaya tomorrow will reveal a road map that shows how its customers – in particular its newly minted Nortel customers - can move to unified communications technologies without ripping out existing gear.

• Powerlan directors consider AIH takeover bid

  ASX-listed Powerlan (ASX: PWR) has advised shareholders to take no action on the recent takeover bid from Alpha Growth International (Australia) Pty Ltd while it considers the offer.

• Zimbra customers applaud VMware acquisition

  Zimbra customers, on an emotional roller-coaster ride since it was acquired by Yahoo, welcome VMware's plans to buy the open-source e-mail, calendar and collaboration software vendor.

• What's on Salesforce.com's shopping list?

  Salesforce.com's move this week to raise US$500 million through a debt offering has observers speculating the on-demand CRM (customer relationship management) vendor is set to go on a shopping spree, but opinions vary on exactly what one will entail.

• Symantec buys Gideon Technologies; Trustwave buys BitArmor

  As the new year gets underway, more of the big fish in the security pond are gobbling up smaller ones known for their expertise in specialized fields.

• Cisco acquired nearly 50 start-ups in decade, most in M&A market

  Cisco acquired more start-ups than any other corporation over the past decade, in a list dominated by IT vendors such as IBM, Microsoft, EMC and Oracle.

• Cisco buys Rohati Systems

  Cisco has just acquired start-up Rohati Systems, according to Rohati’s president and CEO Prashant Gandhi, who says the acquisition price is not disclosed.

• Azurn International to buy ThorSol

  ASX-listed, Azurn International (ASX:AZU) will acquire Sydney-based ICT product and service provider ThorSol in a share purchase agreement.

• EMC acquires GRC vendor Archer Technologies

  EMC said Monday that it plans to acquire GRC (governance, risk and compliance) vendor Archer Technologies for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter, and is likely on the smaller side, as EMC said it would not have a material impact on its fiscal 2010 revenue or earnings.

• Avaya closes Nortel deal

  Avaya's purchase of Nortel is final as of Friday, with Avaya promising integrated voice/data branch-office gear and an aggressive integration of Nortel's products and roughly 6,000 personnel.

• Tech mergers and acquisitions to grow in 2010

  After a glacially slow start to 2009 in the mergers and acquisitions market, tech companies started buying again in the second half of the year and analysts expect the resurgence in takeover activity to continue in 2010.

• Oracle-Sun merger gains favor in Europe

  Oracle's planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems seems set for regulatory clearance in the European Union. The companies' latest promises to safeguard competition in the market for database software, make the Commission optimistic that the case will have a satisfactory outcome, it said Monday.