Novell buys SilverStream to boost web services offering

Utah's finest on the acquisition trail again...

Novell has bought SilverStream Software tod0ay in a bid to bolster its web services offering.

The networking software giant has agreed to pay $212m cash, or $9 a share, for the company.

The move should calm analyst fears that Novell's One Net web services vision will be a poor relation to rival strategies from IBM and Microsoft, as it previously lacked an application server platform.

But SilverStream's J2EE-based application server and web services engine should enable Novell to build cross-platform applications.

The deal also means Novell will inherit an integration server, allowing access using XML to back-end legacy systems.

The acquisition is expected to close in July - exactly one year after Novell finalised the buyout of consulting company Cambridge Technology.