RED HERRING | Who Will IBM Buy Next?

Interesting speculation.  The ISV dance floor is definitely getting sparse, in any case... 

IBM could be hungry for more, analysts say. Software is the most profitable of IBM’s five businesses. As a result, the more software companies Big Blue buys, the better its margins become. Analysts eyeing IBM’s software lineup say IBM could move into the $22 billion market for business intelligence software, with Cognos being the most likely target.

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Regardless of who IBM buys next, however, the company has quickly become one of the most acquisitive firms in software. Since 2002, IBM has made 40 acquisitions in software worth $8.53 billion out of a total of 53 deals worth $12.66 billion, according to the 451 Group. During fiscal 2005, software formed $15.75 billion, or 17.3 percent, of IBM’s total $91.13 billion in revenues.

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