Zacks Analyst Interview Highlights: IBM, MRO Software, Cognos Technologies, Oracle and SAP

Business Wire, Oct 31, 2006

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com releases the latest Analyst Interview. Today's interview is with senior analyst Larry Orlowski, who discusses IBM (NYSE: IBM), MRO Software (Nasdaq: MROI), Cognos Technologies (Nasdaq: COGN), Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and SAP (NYSE: SAP).

A synopsis of today's Analyst Interview is presented below. The full article can be read at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2678.

Can you tell us a little about which small-cap software firms are being bought out?

Not long ago, IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced it had completed its acquisition of MRO Software (Nasdaq: MROI), a publicly-held company out of Bedford, MA. MRO's software is used by many of the world's top companies to manage how they buy, maintain and retire assets - production equipment, transportation, tech hardware and software - in a wide range of industries: utilities, manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, and so on. And the company's software has real vertical expertise, as well. I wanted to put a Buy back on them, too, but while I was in the process of doing the work on it, IBM stepped in and bought the company.

I think part of what's going on here is these established players - a huge company like IBM - are out there looking for growth. By buying out these small-cap software companies, they are able to cherry-pick this growth within the software market.

Are you expecting more deals like these in the near future?

Definitely I am. Several companies I follow are potential takeover candidates, such as Buy-rated Cognos Technologies (Nasdaq: COGN), which is in the business intelligence market. Cognos develops intelligence and performance planning software, which is a key growth area in the software market. I think a big company like Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) or SAP (NYSE: SAP) might buy them.

Read the full interview at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2647.

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