IBM to acquire Watchfire for risk, compliance
IBM agreed to acquire Waltham, Mass.-based Watchfire Corp. to add Web application and compliance testing tools into Big Blue's Rational development platform.
IBM said Wednesday it agreed to acquire risk management software vendor Watchfire Corp.
Financial details were not disclosed. Waltham, Mass.-based Watchfire develops AppScan, Web application vulnerability assessment software and WebXM, to conduct Website risk assessments. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2007.
IBM said the Watchfire technology will extend IBM's governance and risk management strategy. Watchfire's operations will become part of IBM's Rational development platform, which provides tools for developers to model, design and build Web-based architectures for SOA, systems and applications.
"Watchfire with IBM Rational software will help customers integrate Web application security and compliance early on and throughout the software development process," IBM said in a statement. "As a result, customers will now be able to define, test and track the compliance of their applications with security, legal and corporate requirements."
IBM said it also expects Watchfire technology to complement existing IBM Tivoli identity, access and compliance management software offerings and ISS by extending security and compliance testing as an integrated element of the application development lifecycle.
