Novell sold to Attachmate for $2.2bn

Services software and NetIQ-owner vendor Attachmate has splurged a total of $2.2bn in cash or $6.10 per share (£1.37bn) to acquire workload management software vendor Novell and its SUSE brand.

Download this free guide

Emerging revenue opportunities for the channel with digital transformation

Digital transformation is a phrase that means many things to many people but for it to have any real relevance to the channel then it needs to mean a chance to make money. This guide will share some of the recent developments in the channel and the latest thoughts about the issue.

Start Download

• Corporate E-mail Address:

  You forgot to provide an Email Address.

  This email address doesn’t appear to be valid.

  This email address is already registered. Please login.

  You have exceeded the maximum character limit.

  Please provide a Corporate E-mail Address.

• • I agree to TechTarget’s Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and the transfer of my information to the United States for processing to provide me with relevant information as described in our Privacy Policy.

  Please check the box if you want to proceed.

• • I agree to my information being processed by TechTarget and its Partners to contact me via phone, email, or other means regarding information relevant to my professional interests. I may unsubscribe at any time.

  Please check the box if you want to proceed.

By submitting my Email address I confirm that I have read and accepted the Terms of Use and Declaration of Consent.

Parts of Novell's IP are also to be sold to CPTN Holdings, a group of companies led by Microsoft.

In a statement issued today, Novell president and CEO Ron Hovsepian said that the firm had been exploring ways of enhancing "stockholder value".

"Our Board of Directors concluded that the best available alternative was the combination of a merger with Attachmate Corporation and a sale of certain intellectual property assets to the consortium," he said.

"We are pleased that these transactions appropriately recognize the value of Novell's relationships, technology and solutions, while providing our stockholders with an attractive cash premium for their investment," added Hovsepian.

Attachmate, which is currently owned by a private equity consortium comprised of Francisco Partners, Golden Gate Capital and Thoma Bravo, said in a statement that it would maintain and strengthen Novell and SUSE's solutions in response to market demands

"The acquisition will add significant assets to our current portfolio holdings and the Novell and SUSE brands will allow us to deliver even more value to customers," said Attachmate CEO Jeff Hawn.

The transaction is scheduled to close during the first quarter of 2011, subject to approval.