Even with more software acquisitions and mergers in 2012 compared with the year prior, their overall value dropped $14 billion, though there were market strengths in infrastructure and specialty offerings, according to a recap of software M&A transactions by Berkery Noyes.
In all, there were 1,529 transactions last year, a 1 percent increased from 2011, though deal values fell by almost one-fifth in 2012 from the previous year, hitting $66.6 billion,
Deals for software companies in specialized industries excelled throughout 2012, with the biggest payout marked as warehousing and e-commerce vendor RedPrairie’s
Google once again led the pack in terms of the number of vendor acquisitions in 2012. The search giant made 10 small, targeted buyouts last year – including Incentive Targeting and Meebo – and Google and its affiliated ventures have made 49 deals total between 2011 and 2012. Equity firm Vista Equity Partners was the most active investment-side venture with 12 deals in 2012.
The following list from Berkery Noyes, in ascending order, is by no means definitive, as it does not include deals were the financial terms were not disclosed. Some financial terms may vary based on rounding and stock options. However, the list accounts for 33 percent of the value of all 2012 transactions, as well as provides a barometer on the information management space.
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9) One Equity Partners Buy of M*Modal for $1.05 billion
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7) Roper Industries Buy of Sunquest Information Systems for $1.39 billion
6) RedPrairie Buy of JDA Software Group for $1.9 billion
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Absent from the Berkery Noyes list was IBM’s $1.3 billion deal in August 2012 for
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