IBM To Acquire Red Hat for Approx. $34 Billion

ibmIBM (NYSE:IBM) is to acquire Red Hat (NYSE:RHT), a Raleigh, NC-based provider of open source cloud software, for approximately $34 billion.

In details, the two companies have reached a definitive agreement under which IBM will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Red Hat for $190.00 per share in cash (representing a total enterprise value of approximately $34 billion).

This acquisition will accelerate hybrid multi-cloud adoption and enable companies to move all business applications to the cloud, drawing on IBM and Red Hat’s shared leadership in key technologies, such as Linux, containers, Kubernetes, multi-cloud management, and cloud management and automation.

With this acquisition, IBM will remain committed to Red Hat’s open governance, open source contributions, participation in the open source community and development model, and fostering its widespread developer ecosystem. In addition, IBM and Red Hat will remain committed to the continued freedom of open source, via such efforts as Patent Promise, GPL Cooperation Commitment, the Open Invention Network and the LOT Network.

The two companies also will continue to build and enhance Red Hat partnerships, including those with major cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Alibaba and more, in addition to the IBM Cloud.

Upon closing of the acquisition, Red Hat will join IBM’s Hybrid Cloud team as a distinct unit, preserving the independence and neutrality of its open source development heritage and commitment, current product portfolio and go-to-market strategy, and development culture. Red Hat will continue to be led by Jim Whitehurst (President and CEO) and its current management team.

Whitehurst also will join IBM’s senior management team and report to IBM Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty.

IBM intends to maintain Red Hat’s headquarters, facilities, brands and practices.

 

FinSMEs

29/10/2018

Join the discussion