M&A Roundup

Even as 2002 winds down, several companies in the CRM arena have kept busy in the final days of what was not the best year for software vendors. In the past week at least four companies announced mergers and acquisitions that poise those firms for increased growth in 2003. Sybase Inc. announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AvantGo in a cash merger valued at approximately $38 million. Sybase says it intends to operate AvantGo, a provider of mobile enterprise software, under its iAnywhere Solutions subsidiary. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2003. Adonix, a producer of ERP solutions, announced last week it has acquired CIMPRO (Computer Integrated Manufacturing for Process), a subsidiary of MAI Systems Corporation. Adonix says it plans to assimilate CIMPRO's technologies into a software offering tailored for specific process industries like the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food-and-beverage sectors. The CIMPRO purchase closely follows Adonix's purchase of Groupe ABEL in September, the most recent in a series of acquisitions that began seven years ago. Adonix has acquired four software vendors for their assets and expertise, and has melded their capabilities into an integrated enterprise software framework for mid-market companies. ACCPAC International Inc., a subsidiary of Computer Associates International Inc. announced last week that it has acquired eWare Limited, of Dublin, which originally powered ACCPAC's private label CRM solution. The product will continue to be marketed as ACCPAC eCRM. ACCPAC says that Ivan MacDonald, eWare president and CEO, Greg Casey, eWare executive vice president, and Alan Wyley, eWare executive vice president and COO, together with the entire eWare staff, are joining ACCPAC. SSA Global Technologies Inc. (SSA GT), a provider of enterprise solutions and services, says it completed its acquisition of Infinium Software Inc, which provides Web-integrated enterprise business applications for the IBM eServer iSeries. SSA GT says it has acquired 100 percent ownership of Infinium as the result of a merger in which each outstanding share of Infinium's common stock has been converted into the right to receive $7 in cash. SSA GT says the acquisition deepens its reach into the process-manufacturing space, with strong financial and human resources/payroll applications, while broadening capabilities into the gaming, hospitality, and healthcare industries. Infinium Software adds approximately 1,800 customers to SSA GT's existing client base, SSA GT says.