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Story URL: http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39169030,00.htm

IBM to spend big bucks on in-house security
It's all about "keeping the bad guys out"...

By Reuters

Published: Friday 02 November 2007

IBM, which plans to spend a record $1.5bn next year to develop and market security products, is seriously looking at using acquisitions to help bulk up its offerings in the area, a company executive has said.

Val Rahmani, IBM's general manager of infrastructure management for global technology services said the company sees security as a key to growth.

Rahmani said: "We're looking at a lot of different companies right now, as we always do, in a number of different spaces within security."

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A year ago IBM paid $1.23bn to buy Internet Security Systems (ISS). Rahmani declined to say when IBM might make its next purchase of a security company, or whether it was considering deals that size or larger.

Rahmani did identify some areas IBM is interested in: "Keeping the bad guys out and letting the good guys in, authenticating people once they are in and worrying about data if people leave it behind."

She also said companies which are the most attractive acquisition candidates are ones that can help IBM better predict future threats.

Rahmini said: "This is about understanding where the threats will be before they happen. This is what we are very focused on."

IBM is looking to handle security in-house, instead of letting that work go to outside companies that specialise in security.

Big Blue argues it has an advantage over smaller security companies because it is able to integrate security into every aspect of a company's technology systems operations.