IBM completes Platform Computing buyout

IBM has completed its acquisition of Canadian software company Platform Computing in a bid to improve its distributed computing offerings.

The acquisition followed an agreement announced last October. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Platform Computing’s cluster, grid and cloud management software target technical, resource-intensive applications including simulations, modelling and analytics.

It serves about 2,000 organisations, including CERN, Citigroup and the University of Tokyo.

According to IBM Systems Software general manager Helene Armitage, the acquisition will help Big Blue extend “the reach of our [high performance computing] offerings into the high-growth segment of technical computing”.

IBM plans to integrate Platform Computing into its IBM Systems and Technology Group and integrate its technology into the IBM cloud portfolio, “as appropriate”.

It also expects to apply the technology to IBM System x Intelligent Cluster solutions, IBM Power Systems, IBM DCS3700 storage and IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS) software.