I guess this is not new news or anything.. but here are some of the details by John Blau from IDG New Services..
Dell has agreed to acquire ASAP Software in a move to meet demand from large customers for tools and services that help manage their software assets.
Under the agreement announced Thursday, Dell will pay around $340 million for ASAP, which sells products for managing software licensing, purchasing, renewals, and compliance.
The deal will help the U.S. computer maker enhance its offerings to large companies and government organizations with tools they can use to manage their IT systems and monitor usage in an effort to reduce costs and complexity, Dell said.
ASAP employes around 600 people, with sales offices in North America and Europe. Dell expects to close the acquisition in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
ASAP’s tools include a module for monitoring software usage. The products helps IT managers to track how often applications are used and determine whether money is being well spent on licenses and maintenance services.
Another tool provides detailed reports of a company’s systems and software applications, including license compliance notices. The software views the configuration of PCs and servers, and also takes an inventory of all the IT systems used across an organization.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/08/02/Dell-buys-asap-software_1.html
So what does this mean? Not much.. simply that big companies are getting bigger & bigger..
