ARMONK, N.Y.-IBM Corp. added to the rapidly consolidating market for vendors serving wireless operators by snapping up privately held Vallent Corp., a software firm that develops network performance monitoring and service management applications for wireless carriers.
IMB said adding Vallent’s deep wireless expertise to its portfolio will boost its ability to deliver comprehensive network management tools to service providers, including wireline, wireless, IP and converged operators.
“Today’s service provider landscape is changing dramatically,” stated Al Zollar, general manager of IBM’s Tivoli software unit. “Mergers, partnerships and technology are making fixed-mobile convergence a reality. To compete, operators must manage the customer experience across large, heterogeneous and complex service delivery infrastructures.”
Vallent’s carrier client list includes KPN, Bharti Aritel Ltd., China Mobile and Brasil Telecom, as well as equipment providers Lucent Technologies Inc., Motorola Inc. and Alcatel Inc.
IBM said it expects the acquisition to close during the first quarter of next year, after which it plans to integrate Vallent into its Tivoli Software unit, the same unit into which the Netcool assets from IBM’s February Micormuse acquisition have been integrated.
The company didn’t disclose financial details of its purchase of Washington-based Vallent, which employs about 400 people.
News of IBM’s acquisition didn’t seem to impact its stock, which traded down 25 cents at $91.20 per share after the announcement.
