Avnet Buys BSP Amidst Patent Dispute

In the US, electronic component distributor Avnet has acquired IBM analytics re-seller BrightStar Partners (BSP) and its BSP Software for an undisclosed sum. The news broke as IBM Cognos vendor Motio filed a counter-patent infringement lawsuit against BSP.

BSP is an IBM business partner, reseller and software vendor which focuses on the IBM Cognos Business Analytics portfolio of business intelligence tools. In 2006, the company launched its BSP Software, which builds on the IBM Cognos product.

Avnet says the acquisition will add business analytics and performance expertise to its own IBM solutions portfolio, and following closure of the deal, BSP's solutions will be integrated into the Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas division.

The deal was announced as Motio filed a complaint against BSP in the Eastern District of Texas. This alleges that BSP's Integrated Control Suite (ICS) and Integrated Version Control (IVC) products infringe upon one of its own patents for technology driving its flagship MotioCI product. This is used by IBM Cognos customers to streamline business intelligence development, testing and release management processes.

In a release issued earlier this week, Motio CTO Lance Hankins commented: 'BSP has aggressively and wilfully infringed upon innovations which Motio has spent years developing, and we will vigorously pursue justice in this matter.'

In March this year, BSP kicked off the dispute by filing its own patent infringement lawsuit against Motio, alleging that the firm's MotioPI and MotioCI offerings infringed patents relating to its MetaManager and Integrated Control Suite. At the time, BSP President Andrew Rachmiel said his firm was unable to 'stand by while others infringe on our years of hard work'.

DRNO's requests to Avnet to determine whether the lawsuit will affect its acquisition of BSP remained unanswered at the time of going to press.

Web sites: www.avnet.com , www.brightstarpartners.com , www.bspsoftware.com and www.motio.com .