Micro Focus snaps up Intersolv

Micro Focus has paid $534m (£320m) for services and Java-based Net product specialist, Intersolv.

Traditionally a supplier of mainframe emulator software for PCs, Micro Focus denied its current products would be dropped in favour of Intersolv's. CFO Rick Van Hoesen stressed the firm's old products will be re-packaged instead. "We will definitely keep developing the old Cobol emulators, but our focus will be to offer total solutions," he said. "We plan to offer our SmartFind, SmartFix and Revolve business software with Intersolv customer services such as customisation, bug fixing and maintenance."

Edward Bridges, analyst at Financial Dynamics, said: "It will be interesting to see how the two companies combine their retail models. Micro Focus has always sold to big companies and consultants such as Cap Gemini. Its strategy is to sell to people at the top, and let them influence other people. But Intersolv uses telesales to sell cheaply to the lowest level of a company."

Micro Focus' Van Hoesen said that details of the new retail strategy were not yet decided. If the purchase receives shareholder approval, the companies expect it to be finalised within 90 days.