Today, IBM announced two acquisitions: source code and application security company Ounce Labs, and SPSS, a provider of predictive analytics. Both purchases arrive on the heels of IBM picking up the privately-held Exeros in May.
Downturn or not, IBM isn't picking these companies up on the cheap. SPSS — a publicly traded firm — was bought for $1.2 billion, which breaks down to an all-time high of $50 a share. With others by Intel and Oracle as well, the recent flush of acquisitions shows things are picking up for the software sector.
SPSS, whose primary business is predictive analytics, will become a part of the Information Management division of Big Blue. Their software has some overlap with the Business Analytics and Optimization (BAO) consulting service. But in a statement on the acquisition today, IBM said they see SPSS as being an extension of their Information On Demand strategy. Ounce Labs
Ounce Labs is a private company, so financial details on this second acquisition are not being released. Ounce does testing on application source, aimed at detecting flaws that might compromise security and compliance. The company will be absorbed in to IBM's Rational software business, which manages enterprise architecture.