WSJ: IBM, Sun Talks 'Unraveling' -- Redmondmag.com

WSJ: IBM, Sun Talks 'Unraveling'

By Becky Nagel
04/05/2009

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the proposed $7 billion dollar deal for IBM Corp. to acquire Sun Microsystems virtually collapsed this weekend.

Unnamed sources told the paper that price IBM offered -- ranging from $9.10 to $9.40 per share -- "wasn't the biggest issue." Instead, a combination of concerns, including how committed IBM is to the acquisition, reportedly left Sun's board "split" over the deal, with Sun co-founder and Chairman Scott McNealy in the against camp. This resulted in Sun turning down IBM's offer on Saturday, and IBM formally withdrawing the offer Sunday.

Reporters William M. Bulkeley and Don Clark wrote that the parties are still communicating via telephone, although the talks can be characterized as "confrontational," They also point out that even if successful, any merger could face difficulties from both European and U.S. antitrust regulators.

As of Sunday night, neither IBM nor Sun have commented on the report or the deal itself.

Read the full The Wall Street Journal story here.

About the Author

Becky Nagel is the former editorial director and director of Web for 1105 Media's Converge 360 group, and she now serves as vice president of AI for company, specializing in developing media, events and training for companies around AI and generative AI technology. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Users" and other popular AI resources with a real-world business perspective. She regularly speaks, writes and develops content around AI, generative AI and other business tech. Find her on X/Twitter @beckynagel.

Featured

What's Inside Microsoft 365's Security Toolbox?

Microsoft provides plenty of native tools to secure Microsoft 365. IT pros just have to know where to look.
Microsoft Kills 30-Day Data Retention Policy for Copilot in Fabric

Microsoft this week announced several usability improvements coming to Copilot in Fabric in preparation of its general availability release later this year.
Using Microsoft Office to Build a Network Diagram 2

Now that we've set up our process, let's dig in with the actual execution.
Microsoft Graph 'Activity Logs' Feature Goes Live

Microsoft announced the general availability of the "activity logs" capability in Microsoft Graph, giving administrators more options to track user activity and identify patterns of potential misuse.
Fallout from Microsoft's 'Midnight Blizzard' Saga Hits Feds

When the Russian attack group Midnight Blizzard successfully breached Microsoft corporate e-mail accounts late last year, it apparently managed to steal U.S. government agency e-mails, too.