Tech acquisitions
16 Key Acquisitions the Channel Should Watch
We examined this year’s crop of acquisitions that could affect the channel. Here, we look at 16 key deals, although there are many more.
Accenture Acquires FusionX
Accenture acquired FusionX, a Washington, D.C.-based security company, to strengthen its security practice to help customers assess and respond to advanced cyber-threats.
Arrow Acquires immixGroup
Aiming to expand its presence in the federal IT sector, Arrow Electronics acquired immixGroup, a value-added distributor that supports more than 800 VARs, solutions providers, service providers and other public-sector channel partners.
Blue Coat Buys Perspecsys
Blue Coat Systems, an enterprise security vendor, providing on-premise, hybrid and cloud-based solutions, acquired by Bain Capital for about $2.4 billion in 2015, has purchased Perspecsys to expand its portfolio in the cloud security market. The acquisition is said to position Blue Coat as a leader in the cloud access security broker segment.
CA to Buy Xceedium
CA Technologies, a specialist in privileged identity management, is expanding its cyber-security offering to combat privileged-user security breaches and compliance risks with the acquisition of Xceedium. The deal should give CA’s partner network access to Xceedium’s privileged identity management solutions that protect on-premise, cloud and hybrid IT environments.
Cisco’s Cloud and Security Deals
In 2015, Cisco bought or announced plans to buy several companies that will boost its cloud and security portfolios. These include MaintenanceNet, a cloud-based software platform using data analytics and automation for managing recurring service renewals; OpenDNS, a provider of advanced threat protection; Piston Cloud Computing, which enhances Cisco’s capabilities around cloud computing, availability and scale; and Tropo, a cloud API platform provider, delivering a collaboration platform-as-a-service.
Datapipe Expands Multi-Cloud Managed Services With GoGrid Deal
Datapipe, which provides managed hybrid IT solutions, acquired GoGrid, a provider of multi-cloud solutions for big data deployments. GoGrid’s proprietary orchestration and automation technologies are said to be unique in the market, providing one-button deployment for big data solutions that speed creation and results of new cloud projects.
EMC to Acquire Virtustream
EMC’s acquisition of privately held Virtustream will form the company’s new managed cloud services business, accelerating its strategy to help customers move their applications to cloud-based IT environments. Virtustream will be available directly to customers and through EMC’s global partner network.
HP Acquires Aruba Networks, Voltage Security
HP’s acquisition of Aruba Networks is expected to make HP an industry leader in enterprise mobility, combining Aruba’s strength in wireless mobility and HP’s strength in wired switching. Aruba has a specialized sales, marketing and channel model that complements HP’s go-to-market strategy. This year, HP also bought Voltage Security to expand its data encryption security solutions for cloud and big data. The new offerings will complement HP Atalla encryption capabilities introduced in 2014.
Hitachi Data Systems Expands Big Data, IoT Play With Pentaho Buy
Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) plans to acquire Pentaho, a big data integration and business analytics company with an open-source-based platform for big data deployments. The deal is expected to help support HDS’s strategy to deliver business products that integrate machine data, IT and analytics to deliver value from big data and the IoT, and bring the company’s big data solutions to market faster.
IBM Expands Cloud Services with Compose Acquisition
IBM acquired privately held Compose, which provides MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL and other database-as-a-service (DBaaS) offerings for Web and mobile app developers. The acquisition is aimed at strengthening IBM’s commitment to developer productivity and innovation around open-source and cloud data services.
Infor to Acquire GT Nexus
Infor plans to acquire GT Nexus, claimed as the largest cloud-based global commerce platform, for $675 million. About 25,000 businesses use GT Nexus, including six of the top 10 logistics service providers and 30 global financial institutions, all managing more than $100 billion in goods each year using its cloud-based business network. Infor deploys its applications primarily on the Amazon Web Services cloud and open-source platforms.
Intel/Altera Mega Deal
Intel plans to buy field programmable gate array (FPGA) vendor Altera for $16.7 billion. The combination of the two companies’ technologies will bolster Intel’s product portfolio for the data center and Internet of things markets. Altera holds 40% of the FPGA market.
Lexmark Buys Kofax for $1 Billion
The acquisition will nearly double Lexmark’s enterprise software business to about $700 million, beefing up its enterprise content management and business process management offerings. Kofax has more than 850 channel partners globally.
Oracle Pays $1.2 Billion for Datalogix Holdings
One of Oracle’s recent big purchases is digital marketing analytics company Datalogix Holdings. The acquisition expands Oracle’s public cloud strategy to combine IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and data as a service (DaaS) on a common cloud. The Wall Street Journal reported in February 2015 that Oracle paid more than $1.2 billion to acquire the company.
SAP’s Acquisitions Form the SAP Business Network
The SAP Business Network brings together Ariba, Concur and Fieldglass into one operating unit, connecting more than 1.8 million businesses, their partners, third-party developers and systems integrators. Concur, acquired in December 2014, is a provider of travel and expense management solutions. SAP purchased Ariba in 2012 to advance its cloud play, and Fieldglass, which provides a cloud-based vendor management system solution, was acquired in 2014.
Tech Data Buys Signature Technology Group
With the acquisition of Signature Technology Group, a provider of data center and professional services in North America, Tech Data’s reseller partners have additional professional services and support through the global distributor’s Advanced Infrastructure Solutions division. STG offers partner-led IT professional services that deploy technology physically and virtually, as well as offer cloud assessments and migrations, and technical staffing.