IBM will buy Sterling Commerce from AT&T for $1.4 billion in a cash deal that will help thier Big Blue’s networking and cloud-computing offerings. The biggest news about this is the fact that IBM plans to keep all of Dublin, Ohio-based Sterling Commerce’s 2,500 employees. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.
Craig Hayman, general manager of IBM’s WebSphere Division, says, “This acquisition will give IBM new tools to help clients build dynamic business networks that connect partners, suppliers and clients and deliver a consistent customer experience across channels.” Sterling Commerce specializes in selling and hosting technology that helps companies manage customer orders and logistics, this primarily in the cloud. Craig later stated that the cloud environment will make it “compelling to large numbers of our customers.”
