In another move that changes the face of the enterprise software industry, Infor Global Solutions said today it is acquiring SSA Global Technologies Inc. for $19.50 per share, or about $1.4 billion in cash.
The combined company, which will have about $1.6 billion in revenue, will have more muscle to compete globally with enterprise software providers Oracle Corp. and SAP AG.
The move will also help Infor build out applications based on service-oriented architecture technology and gain expertise in a vertical industry, since both companies have made inroads into the manufacturing industry, said Ray Wang, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Mass.
Alpharetta, Ga.-based Infor, formerly known as Agilisys, sells business software such as ERP and supply chain planning to industries like manufacturing, automotive, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceuticals. Its recent acquisitions include product life-cycle management software maker Formation Systems Inc., the ERP assets of Geac Computer Corp. and asset performance management software provider Datastream Systems Inc.
Chicago-based SSA Global has been on a shopping spree of its own in recent years, acquiring such companies as enterprise risk management software provider Baan in 2003 and CRM software maker Epiphany Inc. last year.
Pending regulatory and shareholder approval, the deal is expected to close in the third quarter.