Trying to add more muscle to its supply chain software strategy, IBM Corp. on Tuesday announced it has agreed to purchase all the shares of Trigo Technologies Inc.
Trigo, based in Brisbane, Calif., produces product information management software that helps corporate users to integrate and manage comprehensive product information across the breadth of an enterprise and/or a supply chain.
The company’s middleware products also link product-related information with terms of trade, including pricing, and then synchronize this information internally with users’ enterprise systems as well as business partners.
IBM believes the deal will serve to extend its portfolio of integration middleware that is part of its WebSphere line of products. In a prepared statement, company officials said they believe the deal will also enhance its ability, and that of its business partners, to better put together more complete middleware solutions that can access a centralized source of integrated product information.
“We think Trigo complements our middleware portfolio perfectly,” said Steve Mills, senior vice-president and group executive, in charge of IBM’s Software Group. “The benefit to our customers will be in our ability to deliver sophisticated, industry-specific middleware solutions that enable customers to introduce new products rapidly, improve their supply chain operations and customer service and enhance business performance,” Mills said.
Trigo officials said their product information management middleware can supply product information for WebSphere Commerce solutions and can deliver multimedia content managed by IBM’s DB2 Content Manager. It can also deliver detailed product information to corporate users, trading partners, and employees through WebSphere Portal.
Officials from both companies said more details about the deal will be made public at a press conference.