IBM said yesterday that it has agreed to buy the assets of Informix Software, the database software unit of Informix Corp., in a cash transaction valued at $1 billion.
Informix Software, Westboro, MA, is a leading provider of database management systems for data warehousing, business intelligence and transaction processing. With an installed base of more than 100,000 customers worldwide, Informix delivers high-performance database systems to customers in retail, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications and other businesses. Key Informix customers include Verizon, Deutsche Telekom, Sears and Sabre.
According to IBM, Armonk, NY, the acquisition strengthens IBM in the distributed database business, a strategic priority for the company. IBM's distributed database revenues grew 36 percent year-to-year in the first quarter of 2001.
“Customers are aggressively investing in data management software because data collection, storage and use are at the core of a successful e-business,” said Sam Palmisano, president and chief operating officer of IBM. “This acquisition of Informix allows IBM to bring the benefits of leadership database technologies to more customers faster.”
Following the sale of the database business to IBM, Informix will focus on its other independent operating business, Ascential Software, an information asset management solution vendor.
