IBM Acquires UrbanCode, Speeding Up Software Updates

Computing giant IBM said today that it would acquire privately held UrbanCode, a Cleveland-based company that specializes in automating the delivery of software and applications that run in the cloud. As is usually the case with IBM deals, financial terms were not disclosed.

UrbanCode’s play is to speed up the development and delivery of software. Big Blue says it will be integrated into its SmartCloud and MobileFirst offerings. UrbanCode’s technology, IBM said, helps businesses cut down the time between updates to applications.

The deal is IBM’s second of 2013. In a note to clients, ISI analyst Brian Marshall estimated that the company has spent about $12 billion on small tuck-in acquisitions during the last three years. Word of the deal comes a week after IBM reported a disappointing quarterly earnings miss that was interpreted as a bad sign for the rest of the IT industry.