IBM announced its intention to acquire Cast Iron Systems today, bringing to an end the long-standing parlor game of which integration tool vendor would be the next to be acquired after Workday grabbed Cape Clear in 2008.

This is an important endorsement of the importance of the integration tools market in general, and Cast Iron Systems in particular.

Integration is often listed as one of the top three concerns among IT and business decision-makers who are thinking about migrating to the ‘cloud’, along with security and reliability.

According to IBM’s software head, Steve Mills, Cast Iron Systems fit IBM’s acquisition criteria by offering “Adjacency” and “Synergy” that can enhance IBM’s capabilities and revenue opportunities in the following areas,

Websphere middleware
Process management services
Professional and hosting services
Cloud enablement solutions

The integration tools sector has been very competitive with Boomi, Hubspan, Informatica and Pervasive Software recognized as the other leaders.

Cast Iron Systems has differentiated … Read More »