IBM to buy customer data-hub maker DWL

IBM said last week it plans to acquire DWL, a customer-data-integration software maker, to strengthen its information management middleware portfolio. The company's DWL Customer software is a Java-based customer-data hub that pulls together information from disparate systems, such as logistics and billing applications, to provide a unified customer record.

Ten-year-old DWL is a privately held, venture-capital-funded company based in Atlanta, although a majority of its operations remain in Toronto, where it was founded. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DWL's core customer industry is financial services, but IBM said it plans to add resources to expand DWL's presence in industries such as telecommunications and retail.

DWL's current customers include Staples, MetLife, and SunTrust Banks.

IBM already had a deep technology and consulting services partnership with DWL. It plans to add DWL to its information management group, which will soon be run by Ambuj Goyal, who is in the process of taking on the division following Janet Perna's retirement.

IBM's integration plans for DWL will be similar to the path it followed last year with its purchase of Trigo Technologies, said Paraic Sweeney, vice president of IBM's product information management solutions group.

Trigo developed software called Product Center that unified product information in a way similar to what DWL's technology does for customer information.

IBM rebranded Trigo's software as WebSphere Product Center and added it to its middleware line as an independent module.

The DWL deal is subject to regulatory approvals. IBM expects it to close later this year. DWL has about 150 employees, a majority of whom IBM plans to retain, Sweeney said.