IBM Completes Analytics Buy

IBM has completed its acquisition of Marlborough, MA-based business analytics and data warehousing firm Netezza, announced in September.

The c.$1.7bn cash deal, equivalent to around $27 per share, continues a round of acquisitions over the last four years with which IBM has built up its analytics business to its current strength of more than 6,000 consultants. Netezza has just under 500 employees worldwide and has been a strategic partner of the computer giant for several years.

Netezza, whose data warehouse appliances promise to bring analytics directly into the hands of non-specialist end-users, will now be integrated with IBM's Business Analytics and Optimization Consulting offer, part of its Information Management software portfolio.

Earlier this week, Netezza settled litigation with MA-based Intelligent Integration Systems, Inc. (IISi), paying an undisclosed sum to secure ownership of all IISi's products and related intellectual property developed for Netezza platforms, including an extended SQL toolkit, and a geospatial product reportedly used for targeting of drone bombers by the CIA. Full story at http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20017809-245.html .

Web sites: www.ibm.com and www.netezza.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.