M&A Activity

A partnership of private equity firms Silver Lake and Thoma Bravo has agreed to acquire Austin, Texas-based information technology management software company SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI) for an estimated $4.5 billion in cash, or $60.10 per share. SolarWinds said Wednesday Silver Lake and Thoma Bravo expect to close the acquisition in the first quarter of 2016, …

Thales has agreed to purchase San Jose, California-based security firm Vormetric for approximately $400 million as the companies seek to further their enterprise data protection initiatives. The transaction is subject to customary closing terms and is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2016, Thales said Monday. Patrice Caine, CEO of …

Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) has agreed to buy open source information technology automation company Ansible for an undisclosed sum in an effort to help customers manage cloud computing and traditional applications. Red Hat said Friday it expects to wrap up the purchase this month and VentureBeat reports VentureBeat the transaction is worth at least $100 million. …

L-3 Communications (NYSE:LLL) has bought intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance software and geospatial technology company ForceX for an undisclosed amount as part of efforts to grow L-3’s integrated sensor systems business. L-3 said Tuesday it expects the transaction to immediately help increase its earnings and has renamed the Nashville, Tennessee-based business L-3 ForceX. …

Tetra Tech (Nasdaq: TTEK) will acquire Australian geotechnical engineering company Coffey International for approximately 31 cents per share under a bid implementation agreement between the two companies. The off-market transaction works to support Tetra Tech’s efforts to expand its geographic coverage and consulting portfolio for international development projects, the company said Wednesday. “Coffey provides a …

Dell has agreed to purchase EMC (NYSE: EMC) through an approximately $67 billion cash-and-stock transaction as both companies seek to create a new enterprise-focused information technology business. Michael Dell said Monday the combined company will pursue growth in the hybrid cloud, mobile,  software-based data center, converged infrastructure, security and digital transformation …

Boeing (NYSE: BA) has bought Peters Software for an undisclosed sum to expand Boeing’s commercial airline and private pilot training programs in an effort to help meet a demand for skilled pilots globally. Germany-based Peters Software offers ab-initio instructional flight modules and materials in the European market and has integrated …

Dell and its private equity parent firm Silver Lake are currently in advanced negotiations to buy EMC (NYSE: EMC) and spin off the VMware (NYSE: VMW) business from EMC after the transaction, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Liz Hoffman, Dana Mattioli and Joann Lublin write the companies could either reach an agreement or end …

Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) has bought Foreground Security for an undisclosed sum as part of efforts to expand Raytheon’s footprint in the U.S. and international managed cybersecurity services markets. The Herndon, Virginia-based network defense company has been renamed Raytheon Foreground Security and trained about 85 percent of its 165 employees on …

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has begun discussions about a possible combination of its government information technology and technical services businesses with a fellow U.S. contractor, Reuters reported Friday. Mike Stone writes Lockheed is in early-stage talks with Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH),  CACI (NYSE: CACI),  Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) and Science Applications International …