Tempe, AZ September 6, 2002 IBM this week announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire all assets of Access360, a privately held provider of identity management software based in Irvine, Calif.
The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Financial details were not disclosed.
Software for identity management, also known as "e-provisioning" or resource provisioning, helps organizations consolidate identity data and automate the deployment of employee, contractor, business partner and customer access rights to applications and resources based on business policies. This helps companies reduce information technology costs and increase security.
The planned acquisition strengthens IBM's Tivoli software offerings in identity management, a fast-growing segment of security management software. According to IDC, security management software will grow from $550 million in 2001 to more than $2 billion in 2006, a compound annual growth rate greater than 30 percent.
Upon closure of the acquisition, Access360 will become part of IBM Software Group and integrated into the Tivoli software portfolio. The company's said in a statement that adding Access360 enRole identity management software to IBM's existing identity management portfolio is part of IBM's strategy to offer customers a comprehensive identity management solution that spans user lifecycle management, access control, privacy management, provisioning and metadirectories.
"Customers are aggressively investing in identity management software to control the explosion in user populations as they extend their business beyond the firewall and through emerging Web technologies," said Robert LeBlanc, general manager at IBM's Tivoli division. "By merging the talent and technology of the Access360 and Tivoli software team, IBM can bring an integrated identity management solution with autonomic capabilities to our customers faster."
Once the acquisition is completed, IBM plans to integrate Access360 business operations and personnel into IBM Software Group, and the company will market and sell Access360 identity management products worldwide through an integrated IBM and Access360 sales force.
IBM plans to maintain existing relationships with Access360 customers and business partners, including support for and updating of current Access360 products.
For more information on "e-provisioning," see "The World of Resource Provisioning," the Net Best Thing column in iSource Business' November 2001 issue. http://www.isourceonline.com/article.asp?article_id=1941
