In an effort to help the technology giant offer shoppers effective tools to create more focused marketing campaigns, International Business Machines Corp. has announced it will purchase marketing software creator Unica Corp. for $ 480 million. IBM, which purchased Web analytics vendor Coremetrics recently, is offering all Unica holders $ 21 a share. That’s more than twice Thursday’s closing price and the highest level the stock has ever witnessed, according to Wall Street Journal.
IBM and Unica make good music
PC World reports that IBM’s goal is to provide advanced customer assistance by generating a “consistent and relevant cross-channel brand experience to promote consumer loyalty and satisfaction,” as outlined in a statement. And shifting to higher-margin software business to maintain profit growth appears to be the company’s main strategic focus. Unica currently has about 500 employees, all of whom can be involved in IBM’s software division, where the company believes that with the help of Unica’s powerful software, its business-analytics and consulting unit will grow stronger with exceptional advantages.
Data on Unica Corporation
A recognized leader in marketing software solutions, Unica Corporation has been around for almost two decades. Founded in 1992, the business is situated in Waltham, Mass., with additional offices located in other parts of the nation and worldwide. In England, it is one of fastest growing technology businesses. The company reported total revenue of $ 30.7 million for the third quarter fiscal 2010, which ended June 30, 2010. That shows a 14 percent increase compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2009.
New movements shows potential improvements
Unica Corporation has about 1,500 shoppers, which consists of big names like Best Purchase, ING and eBay. Once the acquisition is finalized, however, they will all become IBM customers. The new movement, as stated by Unica CEO Yuchun Lee, will help perk up improvements with all types of businesses associated with IBM. During a conference call Friday, IBM officials plan to discuss further details regarding the Unica acquisition. The deal is expected to close within the fourth quarter of this year.
More data at this site
The Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703960004575427171092347124.html
PC World
pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/203224/ibm_buying_unica_for_480_million.html
