Event
Summary
ORINDA, Calif. - [June 12, 2000] - Intraware Inc., an IT e-marketplace
for web-based software and services, announced it has agreed to acquire
Janus Technologies Inc., an information technology (IT) asset management
solution provider, for $24.25 million in stock. Janus develops and markets
IT asset management solutions including tools that enable organizations
to significantly reduce the total cost of ownership of their IT assets.
As
a result of this transaction, Intraware will acquire Janus' industry leading
technology, domain expertise and customer base of over 130 Fortune 1000
companies. Following the closing of the transaction, Intraware will develop
a web-hosted version of Janus' IT asset management software applications.
This acquisition will significantly expand Intraware's service offerings
to corporate customers and provide a complete software lifecycle solution
for managing IT assets.
Market
Impact
IT asset management is often handled by ad hoc, in house solutions - in
fact, Janus identifies Microsoft Excel as a principal competitor to an
intelligent asset management solution. Enterprises eventually can leverage
better lifecycle and license management for their infrastructure. In this
model, vendors aren't just selling you a widget - they're selling you
a widget with an XML-formatted, SOAP-delivered descriptor that can automatically
integrate itself with your enterprise directory and systems management
solutions. (No one is doing this perfectly yet, just as no one can sell
you a widget.)
Janus
has been good with the "i", but had no capacity for "e-commerce." Their
flagship product - the Argis 6.0 asset management suite - includes many
key features - workflow, mail, help desk integration - that happen inside
the enterprise. Argis, however, has lacked Web integration and e-commerce
- things that live outside the firewall. This makes sense for Janus.
The
Intraware merger gets Janus involved much earlier in the procurement cycle.
In addition to online content, Intraware provides online software sales,
and already has an alliance with eMarketplace vendor Commerce One. (Commerce
One's CEO, it should be noted, also sits on Intraware's board.) Janus
CEO Larry Shoop expects to be able to integrate procurements anywhere
in the Commerce One marketplace directly to Argis. This rounds out the
Argis suite nicely.
In
turn, Intraware gets access to Janus' professional services group, and
its development team based in Pittsburgh. In part due to the lower cost
of operations, Intraware has begun shifting some development operations
from Intraware's Orinda, California offices to Janus' Pittsburgh headquarters.
However,
we can't help but wonder why an IT portal would buy a software firm. Do
they really need a professional services team? Is their development team
going to be happy about being moved 3000 miles? (We doubt that Intraware
will shift its essential developers from the West Coast to Pittsburgh.)
There
are some interesting synergies between Janus and Intraware - accessing
Intraware's eCommerce capabilities and user base - but they aren't essential.
There's more potential between Commerce One and Janus, say, buying and
managing assets all from the same Web site. Intraware suddenly looks a
lot more appealing to Commerce One, but not because of its traditional
business.
Peregrine
Systems AssetCenter 3.5 is Janus' principal competitor. Peregrine already
has a Commerce One alliance. Janus is still behind the curve here, and
it's going to take at least six months before they digest this merger.
User
Recommendations
Peregrine has traditionally been rated more highly than Janus/Argis. Janis
is behind Peregrine, and it's going to be at least six months before the
consolidation issues are resolved.
If
Intraware is able to integrate Argis smoothly with its Commerce One partnership
(a big if), it has a clear advantage, and deserves a place on any short
list of asset management solutions. Check back with Intraware around year-end.