IBM bulks up analysis muscle with Star Analytics buy

IDG News Service - Adding more performance management muscle to its line of analysis software and services, IBM is acquiring the software assets of Star Analytics.

IBM plans to use the software in its offerings to help extract data from financial planning and performance management systems, and to orchestrate jobs across multiple business analysis and intelligence systems.

Founded in 2004, Star Analytics is a privately held business analysis firm based in Redwood City, California. It has attracted more than 40 enterprise customers for its products.

Star Analytics offers two key products, Star Integration Server and Star Command Center. Star Integration Center can extract data from financial planning and management systems, such as Oracle Essbase, Oracle Hyperion Planning and Oracle Hyperion Financial Management, so the data can be placed in a data warehouse.

The Star Command Center software provides a way to automate and orchestrate jobs across multiple analysis and financial planning programs. It works with both the IBM Performance Management and Oracle Hyperion packages.

For the past few years, IBM has been aggressively pursuing the business intelligence and analytics markets. The company has acquired 35 analytics and big data companies since 2005, including Cognos in 2008 and Vivisimo last year.

IBM now employs almost 9,000 dedicated consultants to work on analytics projects and another 400 researchers to advance the state of the art.

IBM will integrate the Star Analytics software into the IBM Business Analytics portfolio, in its line of performance management products.

IBM expects to close the deal within the next three months, subject to meeting the customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.