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IBM to Acquire Big Data Company Aspera

12/20/2013
IBM announces a definitive agreement to acquire Emeryville, CA-based Aspera, Inc. Aspera's technology helps companies securely speed the movement of massive data files around the world. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Licensed to clients and partners either in the cloud or on premise, Aspera's high-speed transfer technology reduces transmission times for large files or data sets by up to 99.9 percent – potentially cutting a 26 hour transfer of a 24 gigabyte file, sent halfway around the world, down to just 30 seconds.  Aspera's patented fasp technology aims to overcome inherent bottlenecks in broadband wide area networks that slow the transfer of extremely large files, such as high-definition video or scientific research files, over distance.

This acquisition builds on IBM's Smarter Commerce initiative by allowing businesses to accelerate their digital supply chains between partners and suppliers. This also extends IBM's capabilities in Managed File Transfer with a complementary set of capabilities to help enterprises further gain control and oversight of their data transfers.

Aspera recently received an Emmy award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development in recognition of its fasp protocol. The academy commented that fasp is an "an industry game changer" used by "virtually all the major broadcast television networks, Hollywood studios and CG/animation houses."

The acquisition of Aspera is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter 2014.

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