IBM has agreed to buy business intelligence software vendor Cognos for around $5 billion.The move follows a period of consolidation in the business intelligence and performance management software market, where Oracle bought Hyperion, while Cartesis and ALG Software were snapped up by Business Objects, which is itself being swallowed by SAP. IBM's takeover of Cognos shows that Big Blue is abandoning its longtime policy of not competing against partners who sell business applications, analysts say. IBM's "corporate position on partnerships is out the window.This deal changes that," says Forrester Analyst Paul Hamerman. Cognos is "a little bit different animal for IBM and could foretell some additional acquisitions where they acquire some application vendors."
展开▼
