Verizon to acquire BlueJeans – with 5G integration on the horizon

Here’s an acquisition that makes sense to everyone in this current climate: Verizon has announced it is to acquire enterprise videoconferencing provider BlueJeans Network.

The move will see BlueJeans move into the Verizon Business portfolio around unified communications, with Verizon promising the platform will also be ‘deeply integrated’ into the operator’s 5G roadmap.

As a result, there is both a short-term and long-term goal at play. The Covid-19 pandemic, and...

16 April 2020 | Collaboration

Kronos and Ultimate Software announce merger to create HCM powerhouse

Kronos, a US-based human capital management cloud provider has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Ultimate Software with the aim to build one of the world’s largest cloud companies.

The combined company will have a stronger position in the rapidly growing human capital management (HCM) marketplace. The companies will have revenues of about $3 billion (£1.54bn), more than 12,000...

21 February 2020 | Cloud

Accenture to buy Symantec’s managed cyber services arm – two months after Broadcom close

Updated Jan 9 Accenture is to acquire Symantec’s managed cybersecurity services (MSSP) arm – two months after Broadcom closed a $10.7 billion deal to buy the security provider outright.

The move will look to beef up Accenture Security and aim to make it a leading provider of managed security services. Accenture will secure Symantec’s six operations centres, in the US, the UK, India,...

8 January 2020 | M&A

Insight Partners acquires Armis for $1.1 billion to claim largest enterprise IoT security deal

New York-based private equity firm Insight Partners has acquired California-based enterprise IoT security provider Armis for $1.1 billion (£838.5m).

Armis allows organisations to safely adopt unmanaged and IoT devices throughout their business. As CTO Nadir Izrael puts it: “One of the biggest challenges keeping CIOs and CISOs up at night is how to secure the unmanaged devices proliferating...

7 January 2020 | Enterprise Mobility

Scope AR acquires studio WakingApp as enterprise augmented reality ramps up

Scope AR, a San Francisco-based provider of enterprise-focused augmented reality (AR) software, has announced it is to acquire AR studio WakingApp.

WakingApp offers a proprietary AR platform which focuses on being of use to enterprises across industries. The company said it was ‘thrilled’ to join Scope AR and ‘become an integral part in the delivery of first-class AR solutions to...

11 December 2019 | App Platforms

Tangoe acquires MOBI to bolster its mobility services offering

Telecom expense management (TEM) software provider Tangoe has acquired managed mobility services (MMS) firm MOBI in another sign of consolidation in the enterprise mobility space.

Both companies will be familiar to regular readers of this publication – and their two technologies will seemingly complement one another. Indeed, Tangoe has been thinking about this space for some time; as far back as...

5 December 2018 | Enterprise Mobility

Citrix acquires Sapho for $200 million to create smarter, superior work experience

Citrix has announced the acquisition of enterprise micro-app software provider Sapho for $200 million (£155.6m) to help ‘redefine the employee experience.’

Regular readers of this publication will be aware of Sapho’s modus operandi. The company aims to break down monolithic behemoth apps into micro-apps in one mobile, social-esque feed, whether it’s expense approvals from...

16 November 2018 | Applications

Slack acquires Astro to bolster email collaboration – with AI flavour

Slack has announced it has acquired AI-influenced email software provider Astro - and its first step is to shut down its service.

Visitors to Astro's site will be met with the news that the company's apps for Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa and Slack will be shut down on October 10, while new users will no longer be able to sign up.

Andy Pflaum, CEO of Astro, wrote: "We started in 2015 with a mission to bring intelligence to workplace communications, starting...

25 September 2018 | Applications