Sybase, a provider of enterprise infrastructure and
mobile software, has announced a $95m buyout of data management
applications maker, XcelleNet. The deal is aimed at improving the
security and management of mobile devices.
Privately held XcelleNet will become part of Sybase's mobile
division, and will further enhance the company's mobile solutions
offering. The acquisition marks the latest move by Sybase to expand
its presence in the mobile middleware sector.
Sybase chief executive officer Alan Cowley said the deal is the
next step in the company's "unwired enterprise" initiative, which
focuses on creating mobile software solutions for corporates, and
will also result in new radio frequency identification (RFID)
products.
The company expected to gain 2,200 customers through the
acquisition of XcelleNet, and expected to close the deal during the
second quarter. Sybase will also try to expand relationships with
partners and independent software firms already working with
XcelleNet, including Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft.
XcelleNet chief executive Joan Herbig said the deal makes sense
for her company, because it provided new resources and broader
market reach. The executives said they expected to hold on to most
of XcelleNet's employees under Sybase, with the company existing as
an individual group operating under iAnywhere.
Stephen Drake, an analyst at IDC, said the acquisition indicates
Sybase's intention to move increasingly into mobile data
management, adding that the addition of XcelleNet should help
Sybase establish its ability to compete more closely with larger
database software makers, including IBM, Oracle and Sun
Microsystems.
"We are seeing within [end-user] companies that mobile
deployments continue to get much larger, with far more people using
mobile devices to access corporate networks and data," he said.
"This deal gives us a broader view of where Sybase is hoping to go
in tying mobility to its database and integration tools."
While Drake did not see any major holes in Sybase's existing
array of products, based on the XcelleNet acquisition, he said the
company could improve its appeal to ICT buyers by offering mobile
data applications for specific vertical markets.
Drake believed the buyout gives Sybase a great deal of expertise
in security software, and that the company was likely to turn to
partnerships, rather than to additional acquisitions, to increase
security capabilities in the future.
Written by
Computing SA staff