Sun strengthens portfolio with Forte buy

Sun Microsystems has snapped up tools vendor Forte Software in a deal worth about $540m.

The stock-for-stock acquisition is expected to be completed during Sun's second financial quarter next year, subject to regulatory approval. Following completion of the deal, Forte will operate under its own name as a subsidiary of Sun.

Sun claimed the purchase will add more key elements for network computing to its product portfolio. It added that Forte's strengths in scalable distributed application development and enterprise application integration complement Sun's Java platform and other network computing technologies, as well as the iPlanet products from Sun's tie-up with Netscape.

Ed Zander, president and chief operating office of Sun, said: "We welcome Forte's team, systems and expertise to our line of internet development and deployment products. We are looking forward to working with Forte's customers on multiple platforms including Sun, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and IBM."

Marty Sprinzen, president and chief executive of Forte Software, said: "I believe that the best technologies and talent for building end-to-end enterprise systems are coming together within one organisation."