New York: Computer maker Dell Inc said on Monday that it had agreed to buy data storage company EMC Corp in a $67 billion record technology deal that will unite two mature companies and create an enterprise tech powerhouse.
The acquisition will help privately held Dell diversify away from a stagnant personal-computer market and give it greater scale in the faster-growing and more lucrative market for managing and storing data for enterprises.
“Dell wants to become the old IBM Corp, a one-stop shop for corporate clients. That model fell apart a couple of decades ago. Reviving it would be a stunning coup for Dell,” said Erik Gordon, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
The deal valued EMC at $33.15 a share as of the end of trading on Friday. Dell will pay $24.05 per share in cash and will also give EMC shareholders a special stock that tracks the share price in virtual software provider VMWare Inc. EMC shares surged 2.7 per cent to $28.62 in pre-market trading.
“The combination of Dell and EMC creates an enterprise solutions powerhouse,” said Michael Dell, who will lead the combined company as chairman and CEO. EMC’s board has approved the merger and will recommend that shareholders do so as well.
The merger agreement includes a 60-day ‘go-shop’ provision that allows EMC to solicit bids from other parties and pay a discounted breakup fee to Dell if a deal is made with another company.
While IBM, Cisco Systems Inc, Oracle Corp and HP could potentially be suitors for EMC, the chances of them challenging Dell with a rival offer are slim,sources said.Activist hedge fund Elliott Management, which has a 2.2 per cent stake in EMC and had been calling for a break-up of the company, welcomed the deal with Dell and said it was the best outcome for EMC shareholders.
