Debut IQ

Force10 Networks files S-1 after years of expectations

Despite leading-edge technology, large infusions of venture funding and substantial revenue growth, the vendor has missed opportunities to go public or to be sold. With the filing of its S-1, an exit is finally at hand.

8 Mar 2010
Steve Steinke
Brenon Daly

Deal Analysis

Acquisition of RTO Software assets takes VMware back to its virtual roots

After the major purchase of SpringSource in August 2009 and the more recent Zimbra and Ionix buys, VMware has returned to supplementing its core infrastructure layer with the pickup of RTO's Virtual Profiles.

8 Mar 2010
John Abbott

Deal Analysis

NorthgateArinso nets an $85m bargain as it picks up the HR business of Convergys

The UK human resources player is eager to broaden its global footprint, while the US vendor is keen to focus on its non-HR businesses. With Convergys' HR outsourcing operation under its belt, NorthgateArinso gains more presence in the US.

4 Mar 2010
China Martens
Brenon Daly

Deal Analysis

ExactTarget looks to put more social twist on email marketing with CoTweet buy

The SaaS marketing automation player has made its first technology purchase. Like its email marketing peers, ExactTarget seeks ways to further differentiate its offerings and believes the addition of social startup CoTweet could be just the ticket.

4 Mar 2010
China Martens

Acquirer IQ

Where will Open Text look next for ECM acquisitions?

The prolific acquirer isn't done yet and has been speaking publicly about its intention to do both large and small deals in the near future. We consider its likely targets.

3 Mar 2010
Kathleen Reidy

Deal Analysis

CA aims to strike 3tera into the hearts of its not-so-cloudy competitors

The target's AppLogic is a grid-like application server for packaging and deploying enterprise-class applications. It's a layer that can help turn virtualized, automated enterprise infrastructure into something that more closely resembles Amazon's EC2.

1 Mar 2010
Rachel Chalmers

Deal Analysis

EMC spins off Ionix pieces to VMware for $200m

Just six months after launching its Ionix IT management framework, which was cobbled together from multiple acquisitions, EMC has sold several modules of the suite to its VMware subsidiary.

26 Feb 2010
Dennis Callaghan

M&A Insight

A (belated) Oscar to IBM

As any banker will tell you, nobody does due diligence like Big Blue. And other companies certainly coattail on that fact. But just so IBM doesn't come away empty-handed, we're giving it a special award for supporting player.

8 Mar 2010
Brenon Daly

M&A Insight

Next to nothing for Novell

OK, so Novell is hardly a gem of a company. But surely it's worth more than the paltry valuation that a hedge fund is offering for the faded vendor. That seems to be the view on Wall Street, anyway, where shares have traded higher than the bid since it came out.

4 Mar 2010
Brenon Daly

M&A Insight

Liquid Computing closing down as funding tap turned off

The HPC hardware vendor was turning itself into a pure software house for 'unified computing' – but VCs declined to continue its funding.

3 Mar 2010
John Abbott

M&A Insight

SGI: buying low and heading higher

So far, the combination of bankrupt SGI and Rackable Systems has produced returns that neither company probably could have hoped to generate on its own. SGI is back bottom-feeding, picking up storage assets from heavily funded startup COPAN.

2 Mar 2010
Brenon Daly

M&A Insight

A Coremetrics sale to salesforce.com?

Rumors have been swirling that the vendor may be snapped up by salesforce.com. The pairing of on-demand analytics with sales and marketing certainly makes sense, and, as salesforce.com knows, there aren't a lot of options left out there.

26 Feb 2010
Brenon Daly