A
decade ago, the mere idea of cloud computing was a difficult concept to
explain, let alone sell. Today, the technology is spurring a
high-stakes scramble to buy some of the early leaders in the
cloud-computing movement.
The latest examples
of the trend emerged as two major technology companies announced
acquisitions aimed at seeding their own clouds.
Cloud-computing
pioneer Salesforce.com said it will spend about $2.5 billion to buy
ExactTarget, a specialist in helping other companies manage marketing
campaigns and other business functions through email, social networks
and a variety of digital services that can be reached on any device with
an Internet connection.
The more time-tested
IBM is snapping up SoftLayer Technologies, a privately held company that
leases extra computing horsepower to startup companies and medium-size
businesses that don't have the resources or desire to build their own
data centers. IBM didn't disclose the financial terms of the deal, but
The Wall Street Journal pegged the cost at about $2 billion. The Journal
cited an unidentified person familiar with the matter.
ExactTarget,
based in Indianapolis, and SoftLayer, based in Dallas, are just the
latest in a batch of billion-dollar babies hatched by what was once
viewed as a kooky craze.
Cloud computing
refers to the practice of renting software and other computing
accessories over the internet, an approach that once seemed to out of
step with the long-standing policies of corporate customers and
government agencies who preferred to own their machines and the
applications running on them.
But that
sentiment has changed in the past six years as the popularity of
powerful smartphones and tablet computers has driven the demand for
services that can be reached from any internet-connected device.
The
phenomenon has helped propel cloud computing, and driven lucrative
deals in the space. In the past two years alone, long-established
technology companies such as IBM, Oracle and SAP AG have each spent
several billions of dollars acquiring cloud-computing vendors.
"Deals
begat deals," said Peter Falvey, a Boston investment banker
specializing in technology. "There are no doubt other companies now
saying, `What else is there to buy out in this space?' It's all part of
the maturation process."
Questions are already being raised whether the buyers are getting overzealous and paying too much.
Investors
seemed particularly troubled by Salesforce's decision to buy
ExactTarget for $33.75 - 53 per cent above ExactTarget's market value
before the deal was announced. It's a steep premium for a company that
has suffered losses in each of the past four years, including nearly $58
million since the end of 2009.
Wall Street's
misgivings about the deal caused Salesforce's stock to plunge $3.24, or
7.9 per cent, to close Tuesday at $37.80. It was the steepest one-day
decline in the stock in 13 months.
ExactTarget's
setbacks came during a period of rapid growth. The company's annual
revenue climbed from $72 million in 2008 to $292 million last year while
its payroll has ballooned from under 400 employees in 2008 to nearly
1,700 now.
Salesforce expects ExactTarget to
trim its adjusted earnings during its current fiscal year ending in
January 2014 by 16 cents per share. The deal is expected to close by the
end of next month.
Salesforce CEO Marc
Benioff has become accustomed to shaking off the skeptics. He was
frequently mocked when he started his San Francisco-based company in
1999 and boldly predicted its model for leasing business software
applications would revolutionize the technology industry. Even after
Tuesday's sell-off, Salesforce now boasts a market value of $22 billion.
Benioff's personal fortune stands at an estimated $2.6 billion.
Benioff,
an executive known for sweeping statements, hailed the ExactTarget deal
"as really a historic date for cloud computing" during a Tuesday
conference call for analysts. He is counting on ExactTarget to help
Salesforce sell more marketing services on mobile devices. As part of
its marketing expansion, Salesforce previously spent nearly $1.1 billion
to buy Buddy Media and Radian6 Technologies during the past two years.
Once
the ExactTarget deal is completed, Benioff said Salesforce plans to
take a "vacation" from deal making for 12 to 18 months.
"That's really because we're going to double down and focus on the success of ExactTarget," Benioff assured analysts.
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