JDA Software Takes Another Run at i2 Technologies
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

No, you are not having flashbacks, but retail and supply chain software vendor JDA Software said last Thursday that it was acquiring sometimes rival i2 Technologies for what works out to around $396 million. This is the second time that JDA has tried to acquire i2, and ironically, given the weakened state of the global economy, this is a lot more money than JDA was willing to pay in August 2008 when it made its first offer. READ MORE >

Let's Take a Look Under the Hood of IBM's Servers in Q3
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Public companies sure give the appearance of telling you lots of things about their business, but they rarely cough up any specific information about what it is selling, how much it is selling, and why. But, as companies go, IBM has some of the most detailed information available about its many products lines and businesses. Which is a good thing. But actual hard information is still lacking in many cases. READ MORE >

Another Power Systems Deal, and Some Feedback
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

I have been a bit surprised by the lack of public wheeling and dealing in this economic downturn as far as server sales go. There has been no 'cash for clunkers' equivalent deal that IBM has used to try to get companies to move ahead. Perhaps there are deals going on behind the scenes, on a one-on-one basis, but this takes time and is an inefficient way of selling because sales reps and channel partners end up doing what they want to move gear. READ MORE >

As I See It: The Great American Recovery
by Victor Rozek

How kindly the new year will treat IT professionals depends on the elusive recovery. But did we have one or didn't we? Unlike experiencing a migraine, you can actually be in the middle of a recovery and apparently not even know it. Just ask the 15.7 million people looking for work, and the millions more who stopped looking. A jobless recovery they're calling it, which is like a joyless orgasm. Whoop-tee-do. READ MORE >