IBM to acquire US intelligence and security solutions firm NISC

Technology giant, International Business Machines yesterday said it would acquire National Interest Security Company (NISC), a provider of critical information technology services and solutions to US intelligence agencies and the department of defence, for an undisclosed sum.

Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, NISC, owned by private equity firm DC Capital Partners, is a leading provider of innovative information technology solutions, information management, and strategic consulting services to the US Intelligence agencies, departments of defence, homeland security, energy, as well as federal medical and other public sector agencies.

Although, the Armonk-based IBM did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition, D C Capital Partners, which had acquired NISC for $19.6 million in June 2007, is reported to be taking home nine times its original investment of nearly $180 million, says an analyst.

IBM said in a statement that the terms of the purchase agreement includes the acquisition of NISC affiliate Technology and Management Services, Inc.

It said NISC would be integrated into IBM's recently launched Global Business Services consulting unit after the completion of the deal, which is expected in the first quarter of 2010.

IBM expects to gain from NISC's deep federal expertise, to complement its own existing public sector offerings. IBM's business analytics and optimization (BAO) services for public sector provides government agencies advanced analytics to transform ordinary data into predictive intelligence, to improve the speed and quality of their decision making.