IBM bolsters business continuity offerings

Big Blue bets on making money in business continuity. The company has a definitive agreement to acquire Cary, North Carolina-based Arsenal Digital Solutions, a privately held company. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the acquisition, Arsenal will become part of the Business Continuity and Resiliency Services (BCRS) business unit in IBM Global Technology Services. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008. Arsenal is an emerging leader in on-demand data protection, and it offers a comprehensive suite of information protection solutions. Arsenal’s scalable on-demand services architecture provides customers with automated infrastructure management.

IBM and Arsenal serve small and mid-market businesses as well as large enterprises that need to achieve data resiliency in light of increasing regulatory requirements, data growth, and evolving technology requirements. Arsenal brings capabilities in the on-line data protection market, complementing IBM Tivoli’s flagship data protection offerings and IBM System Storage solutions designed to deliver a comprehensive portfolio for addressing enterprise information protection needs. Arsenal’s services are already used by thousands of clients in many industries including healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. Arsenal’s strategic business partnerships with leading telecommunications providers have helped the company become one of the leaders in the on-demand data protection marketplace. IBM plans to make Arsenal solutions available worldwide through IBM’s BCRS services business, through Arsenal’s existing channel partners, including telecommunications providers, as well as direct through IBM.com and from select business partners.