IBM Acquire Encentuate
IBM Acquire Encentuate
March 13, 2008: Big blue has announced the acquisition of Encentuate Incorporated, an access management software company that will be incorporated into IBM’s Tivoli division.
The private company offers enterprise identity and access management software, with a focus on improving authentication technology. IBM has acquired the Californian based organisation for an undisclosed sum, with the group expected to be integrated into big blue’s Tivoli Software Group.
This market is seen as a rapidly emerging area with a strong potential for further growth in a post-Sarbanes Oxley world. A Forrester report released in February identifies the market as having the projected market value balloon out from $2.6 billion in 2006 to more than $12.3 billion in 2014.
“IBM has made a strategic decision to acquire Encentuate because customers are increasingly seeking a complete identity and access management solution with IBM quality and support,” said Al Zollar, general manager, IBM Tivoli software.
According to Zollar, the acquisition will advance IBM’s capabilities in enterprise single sign-on by offering customers an easy to use solution, with more flexible integration andstrong authentication form factors.
Zorawar Biri Singh, President and CEO at Encentuate is welcoming the acquisition, beliving it validates the value the company’s single sign-on solutions bring to the market as the need for secure identity and access management continues to grow.
“Our customers will significantly benefit from IBM’s worldwide customer support and continued investment in integrated security software that leverages our technology,” said Singh.