Citrix is one of the global leaders in delivering remote access, anywhere, anytime and across any device and is a market leader in virtualization. Citrix has sought to broaden its portfolio of products and services and moved into delivering online meeting tools with GoTo suite of products for enabling virtual meetings and collaboration over the net.

Citrix has announced the acquisition of VMLogix, a California-based virtualization management software developer, though the price is currently a closely guarded secret. Logix develops cloud solutions which enable customers to manage public and private clouds and allows data and applications to be accessed remotely. VMLogix sever-virtualization suite is one of the most sought after products in the cloud market space and virtualization management is the key driver behind cloud computing growth.

The cloud computing market is expected to enjoy almost 40% growth annually between now and 2014. This is driving the merger & acquisition activity within the sector and creating the backdrop for large acquisitions by big companies as the cash-piles, many are finding themselves sitting on, are used to make bargain basement acquisitions in expectation of market recovery across the world.

CA has announced a $200 million acquisition of California-based Arcot Systems, Inc. which specializes in virtualization management and particularly anti-fraud and authentication solutions for credit card transactions. A relatively small acquisition but which underlines the importance of security in a world where the market is increasingly moving to a cloud which may seem too cloudy for some users in terms of safety and security. Security solution providers are amongst the most sought after targets in the IT market generally and are competing heavily with cloud software providers.

Intel, the giant chip manufacturer also announced the USD $7.7 billion acquisition of McAfee who are the #2 software security company in the world by revenue (Symantec occupies top slot). Intel’s appetite for M&A has not been satisfied with the McAfee purchase as it has also assimilated the German wireless company, Infineon Technologies for a cash deal worth USD $1.4 billion. Hewlett-Packard, despite its recent difficulties with a wayward CEO and a sex scandal, has also been engaged in an increasingly bitter struggle with Dell for 3Par, a cloud storage company which supplies both hardware and software. The bidding war for 3Par commenced at $18 a share, but with no apparent end in sight, the bidding war has almost doubled the price on offer with the latest offer standing at $33 per share from HP, which values 3Par at $2.4 billion – it remains to be seen if Dell will top that, but either way, Dell stands to win a $72 million break-up deal if 3Par ends up being sold to HP.

Cisco, the company which provides the internet hardware backbone, is looking at buying Arch Rock which develops wireless technology, and in particular they are looking at making your utility meter reader a thing of the past. With a smart meter reader, the meter will automatically relay consumption readings back to the utility company which means they can compute an accurate bill without the need to physically visit the premises. Again, how much has been paid for Arch Rock is undisclosed.

Author Bio: Lawrence Reaves is a strong believer in Richmond IT services such as Richmond cloud computing. For these services, Lawrence recommends PLANITTechnology Group, a Citrix Technology Partner. PLANIT Technology Group can be found online at: PLANITTech.com .

Category: Business
Keywords: Richmond IT services, Richmond cloud computing, Juniper Technology Partner