IBM Acquires Swiss Virtualization Firm

IBM said Thursday it had acquired Swiss-based Rembo Technology, a company that produces software to automate the process of installing or upgrading operating systems on thousands of computers simultaneously. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Rembo's technology would help IBM extend its virtualization software portfolio, which has become big business for the Armonk, N.Y., based company. According to research firm IDC, spending on virtualization is expected to reach $15 billion by 2009.

Rembo already counts some 800-plus customers throughout a variety of industries, including the city of Munich, the International Red Cross, carmaker Peugeot, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Wisconsin.

The software allows an IT administrator to only spend a few minutes configuring the install through a central "dashboard" application, which Rembo says will still allow online business functions to continue while the update is occurring. Additionally, the automated process provides a significant cost savings.

Security features built into the software could also wipe a virtual machine clean after each log-off, which could prevent the spread of viruses and malware.

"Adding Rembo to the IBM Virtualization Engine portfolio will help improve the economics of a virtualized infrastructure," IBM virtualization vice president Rich Lechner said in the announcement.

"Rembo's automated management tools will further enhance IBM solutions and enable clients to reduce management costs, increase resiliency and enhance security in heterogeneous, distributed environments."

After completion of the acquisition, expected by the end of the current quarter, the operations of Rembo would fall under IBM's Tivoli division, headed by Al Zollar. As well as integrating the technology into IBM virtualization products, IBM plans to build upon Rembo's existing business relationships.