Interesting note, I cannot think of many situations where an ERP vendor bought a mobile apps company. I am told that SAP's proposed acquisition of SuccessFactor will involve some mobile apps, but have yet to see them. ERP vendors seem to want to buy the middleware, so they can standardize integration, syncing, security and management, and leave most apps to their partner ecosystem.
IBM officials said with this acquisition, IBM's mobile offerings will span mobile application development, integration, security and management. Dow Jones Newswire reported on an internal memo from IBM’s senior vice president in charge of middleware software, Robert LeBlanc that highlighted their ambitions, “"Now is the time to make IBM essential in the era of mobile computing."
It will be interesting to watch the choices companies will make that have a mix of different business solutions and ERPs across their IT landscape.
If I have any bad data or information in this article please correct me!




Newsbrief: Today, Japanese publisher Tecmo Koei announced that it has licensed IDV's foliage middleware SpeedTree for use in two upcoming action titles. Tecmo Koei said it plans to use the tech for the multiplatform Dynasty Warriors 7, the latest in the company's long line of historical fiction brawlers, and Warriors Orochi 3, a similar title with a more fantasy-inspired premise. Late last year, IDV released a new version of SpeedTree, adding support for Mac, DirectX ...


German middleware developer Xaitment released the source code for two of its AI software modules, XaitMap and XaitControl, to its U.S. and European licensees at no extra charge for a limited time. The company claims that making its source code available will enable customers to "speed development by debugging and customizing AI code for their game and simulation projects." It also says that developers can "more easily debug, optimize and customize the code" on the ...
Stream TV Networks will soon be launching a line of 3D without glasses products. The company claims that its Ultra-D autostereoscopic 3D technology, which uses proprietary hardware, middleware and software to create advanced 3D imagery, "surpasses all available 3D viewing experiences." The company will be displaying its new products at the upcoming CES 2012 show in January....
Stereoscopic 3D solutions provider TriOviz has purchased the stereoscopic technology activities and team of independent developer Darkworks (Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare). As more home console and PC games offer optional stereoscopic 3D modes, and the number of 3D TVs available on the market increases, TrioViz looks to strengthening its position in this field, as well as its future developments. The acquisition does not include the Parisian studio's game development side, which has ...
Newsbrief: Animation middleware developer IKinema released its free beta for WebAnimate, an"all-in-one platform" enabling developers to retarget and customize animations in their browsers. WebAnimate's toolset is built with independent studios and individuals in mind, and is designed to allow them to "fashion rigs, manipulate bones, retarget/ customize motion capture data and animation" in a few minutes. Users can "port motion capture data from cloud or local sources directly to their models", and tap into a ...
Newsbrief: Umbra Software has shipped a new version of its Umbra rendering optimization middleware. New features in Umbra 3.1 include incremental bake and its "Grizzly" culling algorithm, which the company says provides more accurate and robust culling than in previous versions. Umbra 3.1 is available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation Vita and iOS. Download an evaluation version here. ...
Game Developer magazine has announced the finalists for its Front Line Awards, which honors the best tools across art, audio, middleware, game engines, networking, and programming/production tools. Public nominations were open from October 10-20, 2011, and only five finalists were chosen. Game Developers can now vote for their favorite tools, through November 18, 2011. Developers who wish to vote should weigh in only on the categories with which they have direct experience. Now, the finalists! ...