Mergers / acquisitions - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Forget about Nokia; remember Microsoft Mobile.

  Microsoft completed its $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia today, bringing on board Nokia's smartphones, its not-so-smart feature phones and a Windows RT tablet.

• Palo Alto Networks acquires stealthy start-up with NSA roots

  Next-generation firewall maker Palo Alto Networks today announced its first acquisition, an intriguing buyout of a stealthy Mountain View start-up called Morta Security whose founders hail from the NSA. The price of the purchase was not disclosed.

• Ethernet consolidation: Extreme snaps up Enterasys for $180 million

  Looking to bulk up its often flat Ethernet fortunes, Extreme Networks today grabbed up Enterasys Networks for a cash price of $180 million.

• Cisco spending $2.7B for Sourcefire, company that commercialized Snort open-source security tool

  Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) Tuesday announced a $2.7 billion deal to buy Sourcefire (NASDAQ: FIRE), the 12-year-old intrusion detection and prevention security vendor whose founder invented the open-source Snort IDS.

• AT&T spectrum grab: buying Alltel for $780 million

  AT&T on Tuesday said it has agreed to buy Alltel’s U.S. wireless operations, including licenses, network assets, retail stores and about 585,000 subscribers, for $780 million in cash. Technically, AT&T is buying the operation from the lesser known Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (ATNI).

• Groupon's China site faces strong local competitors

  Under pressure from entrenched local competition, Groupon, a late comer, is lagging in the Chinese group buying market. A focus on hiring local managers, and possible acquisitions, could however see its fortunes pick up, analysts said.

• Oracle to acquire web management company FatWire

  Oracle said Tuesday that it entered into an agreement to acquire FatWire Software, a privately-held company that specializes in software for businesses to manage their websites.

• Skype executives depart after Microsoft buyout

  Eight Skype executives have departed the company following Microsoft's $8.5 billion buyout in May, a Skype spokeswoman confirmed on Monday.

• Microsoft, Skype deal gets U.S. clearance

  Microsoft has received clearance from U.S. antitrust regulators for its proposed purchase of Internet telephony company Skype.

• Reports: DOJ to review Google's Admeld acquisition

  The U.S. Department of Justice will reportedly evaluate the antitrust implications of <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9217583/Google_buys_Admeld">Google's proposed acquisition of Admeld</a>, whose technology is designed to help web publishers manage and fine-tune the way they sell display ads.

• Ericsson to acquire Telcordia for $1.15 billion

  Ericsson has reached an agreement to acquire Telcordia Technologies for US$1.15 billion, the company said on Tuesday.

• VMware to buy Digital Fuel to simplify cloud economics

  VMware is to acquire Digital Fuel Technologies, a vendor of IT financial management software that helps companies determine the cost of IT services.

• Google buys Admeld

  Hoping to further boost its position in display advertising, Google scooped up Admeld, a company that aims to simplify the display ad buying process, the companies said Monday.

• Zeus Technology buys application firewall vendor Art of Defence

  Zeus Technology has bought application firewall vendor Art of Defence for an undisclosed amount and promises tighter integration with Zeus' application delivery controller.

• AT&T says its needs T-Mobile spectrum

  AT&amp;T will be able to significantly improve its mobile network capacity and give better service to its customers because of its proposed acquisition of rival T-Mobile USA, company officials said Thursday.