IBM will acquire all of the outstanding DataMirror common shares at a price of C$27.00 per common share payable in cash. The total is raising to approximately C$170 million (approximately $161 million USD). DataMirror is a company that offers technology that reveals and captures information that has been added, updated or deleted and allows the changed data to be offered in real time to processes, applications and databases, ensuring that continuous, accurate and trusted information is available for decision-making.

    Ambuj Goyal, general manager, IBM Information Management, said: "Organizations need the ability to capture and use information in real-time to help them make better business decisions, better serve their customers and increase operational efficiencies. The combination of DataMirror technology and IBM information management software will help customers bring real-time data analysis closer to actual business processes, allowing them to be more competitive and to generate more value from their information."

    In addition, Nigel Stokes, chief executive officer and founder, DataMirror, said: "IBM’s global reach and industry leading integration solutions will rapidly expand the impact of DataMirror software. This transaction represents a validation of the hard work of the DataMirror team over the last ten years, and an opportunity for our customers to continue to leverage our unique solutions."

    IBM’s strategy is to offer clients the information they request -- when they need it -- to help them quickly respond to changing market demands, rapidly reveal new business opportunities, and improve business results. The acquisition of DataMirror will further IBM’s cross-company Information on Demand business initiative, aimed at capturing the growing market opportunity for enabling customers to use information as a competitive and strategic business asset.

    DataMirror technology, for example, a retailer can incorporate data from point of sale systems into a information warehouse in real-time and automatically trigger important business decisions and events, such as replenishing low stock based on current sales and inventory figures. Likewise, a telecommunications company’s billing system information can be integrated into customer resource management systems for a near real-time view of customers. The acquisition is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. It is anticipated to close in the third calendar quarter of 2007.

For more information about IBM, go to http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/ .