Another Wave Of Vendor Consolidation?

[Steve Bennett]

We all woke up today to the news that IBM is to buy SPSS. IBM is acquiring analytics-software maker SPSS in an all-cash transaction at US$50 per share for a deal valued at about US$1.2 billion.

With this news I think that it is worth taking a look at IBM 's recent moves in analytics as they now include:

• IBM on Tuesday unveiled a business analytics system—a bundle of preconfigured and optimized hardware and software—designed to cut deployment times.


• They are rolling out a global network of IBM Analytics Solution centres. Already announced are Berlin and Tokyo, with further centres planned for London, New York City, Beijing and Washington, D.C. Nothing for our region unfortunately.


• Back in April of this year IBM also purchased Exeros, a privately-held company based in Santa Clara, California. Exeros makes data mining software.


• Also in April IBM unveiled a new services unit focused on business analytics and optimization stating the need for businesses to use data to make better predictions. This is IBM's first new services business since 2002. Take a look at Larry Dignan's blog for insight into IBM's thinking.

So IBM is making some sizable moves and it will be interesting to see if the new analytics business unit can make real inroads with customers. I think that these are moves in the right direction for IBM - but I'm not yet convinced that their new business analytics unit will deliver the end-to-end analytic platform customers want. I think that we will have to first see much greater coordination between the technology components (DataStage, DB2, Cognos, SPSS, etc.) and the new business analytics unit.

As a side note: IBM analytics is also tweeting and worth following here.

In the meantime the financial markets are reacting with Actuate Software, Informatica, Microstrategy, Netezza, and Teradata all being identified as potential acquisition targets by the likes of Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, and SAP AG.

Make sure your seat belts are tightened - change could be accelerating in our world.

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