IBM completes acquisition of Star Analytics

BANGALORE, INDIA: IBM announced that it has completed the acquisition of the software portfolio of Star Analytics Inc., a privately held business analytics company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The news supports IBM's long-term growth strategy to expand the company's business analytics and optimization software and services capabilities, an area of IBM's business that is expected to reach $20 billion in revenue by 2015.

With the closing of this acquisition, it is expected that all Star Analytics employees will join IBM's Software Group.

The combination of IBM and Star Analytics' software will 'advance' IBM's business analytics initiatives allowing clients to access financial information stored in their applications, says a release.

"Applying analytics to a wide range of data requires organizations to democratize and speed sharing of critical information across an enterprise," said Les Rechan, GM, Business Analytics, IBM. "Star Analytics' software advances IBM's efforts to deliver analytics that span all data sources directly into the hands of front line employees, and delivers a comprehensive approach to helping clients uncover new, untapped growth opportunities."

Star Analytics' software, combined with IBM's R&D and prior acquisitions in business analytics including Varicent, Algorithmics, Clarity Systems, OpenPages and Cognos, and recent investments in predictive analytics such as SPSS, will provide clients with a broad range of business analytics solutions. These acquisitions are part of IBM's larger focus on analytics, which spans hardware, software, services and research, it adds.