Monday, September 17, 2007

Big Blue rediscovers appetite for acquisition

US computing giant IBM has rediscovered its appetite for acquisition, buying the Canadian real-time integration and data protection firm DataMirror for US$163.5 million ($187 million) in cash.

DataMirror specialises in software that identifies and captures data that has been added, updated or deleted and allows the changed data to be delivered in real-time to processes, applications and databases.

The DataMirror software ensures continuous, accurate and trusted information is available to decision-makers.

“Organisations need the ability to capture and use information in real-time to help them make better business decisions, better serve their customers and increase operational efficiencies,” said IBM Information Management general manager Ambuj Goyal.

“The combination of DataMirror technology and IBM information management software will help customers bring real-time data analysis closer to actual business processes, allowing them to be more competitive and to generate more value from their information,” Mr Goyal said.

IBM's strategy is to provide customers with the data they need – when they need it – to help them quickly respond to changing market demands, rapidly identify new business opportunities, and improve business results.

For example, with DataMirror technology, a retailer can incorporate information from point of sale systems into a data warehouse in real-time and automatically trigger important business decisions and events, such as replenishing low stock based on current sales and inventory figures.

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