IBM Completes Deal for Platform Computing

IBM has completed its acquisition of Platform Computing, the companies said today. Platform Computing makes software to manage large clusters and grids of servers in distributed computing environments, which are becoming critical tools in analyzing huge datasets. The deal is expected to position IBM for additional gains in "Big Data" management and analysis. Financial terms were not disclosed.

When it announced the deal in October, IBM cited the significant growth in the amount of data and complexity of applications, and said Platform Computing’s software can help IBM customers manage and analyze massive amounts of data in a timely fashion.

"The acquisition of Platform Computing will help accelerate IBM’s growth in smarter computing – a key initiative in IBM’s Smarter Planet strategy – by extending the reach of our HPC offerings into the high growth segment of technical computing," said Helene Armitage, general manager, IBM Systems Software. "Our intent is to enable clients to uncover insights from growing volumes of data so they can take actions that optimize business results."

Platform Computing's software is used to manage resource-intensive applications such as simulations, computer modeling and analytics tools used in industries including financial services, manufacturing, digital media, oil and gas, life sciences, government, and research and education. Platform Computing currently serves over 2,000 clients including 23 of the top 30 largest global enterprises. Example customers include CERN, Citigroup, Infineon, Pratt & Whitney, Red Bull Racing, Sanger Institute, Statoil and University of Tokyo.