IBM درصدد خرید Sun Microsystems

[دانه کولانه]

IBM درصدد خرید Sun Microsystems



شرکت عظیم IBM با پیشنهادی 6.5 میلیارد دلاری درصدد خریداری شرکت Sun Microsystems است اقدامی که در صورت عملی شدن بزرگترین تصاحب IBM خواهد بود.

IBM is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems Inc, sources with knowledge of the matter said, a move that could bolster the technology giant against rivals in the high-end computer server and software markets.
International Business Machines Corp is offering to pay at least $6.5 billion in cash, The Wall Street Journal reported, with the total deal value at about $8 billion, including $1.4 billion of cash on Sun's balance sheet, or $10-$11 per share. That would be more than double Sun's Tuesday's close of $4.97.

Sun shares jumped 79 percent to $8.89, while IBM shares fell 1 percent to $91.95. Both companies declined to comment.

If they reach a deal, it would be IBM's largest acquisition and bolster its offering of computer hardware, software and services. Sun also brings in clients from the telecommunications and financial services industry, although sales to both sectors have been battered by the banking crisis and competition with HP.

Analysts saw the move as part of a consolidation trend, as Hewlett-Packard Co, IBM and Cisco Systems Inc jostle for control of corporate data centers and compete to supply the high-end computers that power complex corporate transactions and networks, as well as software.

"My feeling is that the good players with good technology and products will eventually get taken out by the bigger guys who have the means to do it and understand that it's easier to buy them than to mimic them through internal development," said Zach Rosenstock, analyst at Wayne Hummer Wealth Management.

Sun has long been cited as a takeover target for IBM, HP, Dell Inc or Cisco, which introduced a comprehensive set of data center products earlier this week.

IBM's move, as well as Cisco's announcement, could signal a new wave of partnerships in the data center market as companies strive to provide more comprehensive products and services.

Analysts have cited data equipment maker Brocade Communications Systems Inc, infrastructure software maker Citrix Systems Inc and niche network optimization companies, such as Blue Coat Systems Inc and Riverbed Technology Inc, as possible acquisition targets.

IBM's largest acquisition to date is its $5 billion purchase of Canadian software maker Cognos in 2008. IBM had nearly $13 billion in cash at the end of 2008.

HARDWARE, SOFTWARE FIT

Sun, which rose to prominence in the 1990s, has been searching for a buyer in recent months, according to bankers. While Sun never fully recovered from the dotcom bubble burst in the early 2000s, when demand for servers cratered, IBM by contrast has grown thanks to its shift to software and services from an increasingly commoditized hardware business.

Some analysts said the challenge of valuing Sun's intertwined software, hardware and services businesses could put off potential buyers.

But many said that Sun would be a good buy for IBM as it could position the company to spring back strongly once the economy recovers, even if it the acquisition means a temporary hit to gross margins.
"You are buying in the heart of a downturn. That's generally smart thing," said S&P Equity analyst Tom Smith

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IBM, Sun Said to Be Discussing Deal at $9 to $10

مذاکرات برای خرید سهام SUN ادامه دارد ولی هنوز توافقی صورت نپذیرفته. بعد از اعلام این خبر در 18 مارس سهام SUN هفتاد و نه درصد رشد کرده است. SUN نیمی از درآمد خود را در بازار سرورها بدست می‏آورد و ده درصد این بازار را در اختیار دارد.

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- International Business Machines Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. are negotiating a takeover that values Sun at $9 to $10 a share, people familiar with the matter said.

The discussions are continuing and no agreement has been reached yet, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. The companies are going through contracts for the merger, the person said.

Sun shares, which jumped 79 percent on March 18, the day the deal was first reported, have since fallen 7.6 percent. The merger would give Armonk, New York-based IBM almost half the server-computer market. Sales of servers declined 14 percent industrywide in the fourth quarter as corporations cut costs in the recession.

Sun, based in Santa Clara, California, rose 21 cents to $8.21 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. IBM advanced $3.21 to $100.82 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

Sun, whose customers include AT&T Inc. and China Mobile Ltd., makes about half its total revenues from servers, which run corporate networks and Web sites.

Shawn Dainas, a spokesman for Sun, declined to comment. IBM spokesman Ed Barbini didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

IBM Chief Executive Officer Sam Palmisano said last month he planned “to go on offense” during the recession and make acquisitions.

IBM had a 33 percent share of global server sales at the end of the fourth quarter, according to researcher Gartner Inc. Buying Sun would boost IBM’s share to 43 percent, compared with Hewlett-Packard Co.’s 30 percent.

The acquisition also would help IBM boost sales of software, its most profitable business. Sun’s Solaris operating system runs computers and data centers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Katie Hoffmann in New York at khoffmann4@bloomberg.net; Connie Guglielmo in San Francisco at cguglielmo1@bloomberg.net