IBM to Acquire ILog

IBM and ILog have signed an agreement regarding a proposed acquisition of ILog by IBM. The deal will be implemented by way of concurrent cash public tender offers in both France and the United States. Through the proposed transaction, IBM will combine its business process management, business optimization, and service-oriented architecture technologies with ILog's business rules management system software. The cash tender offer will be at a price of 10 euros per ordinary share and the U.S. dollar equivalent per American depositary share based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of the settlement of the tender offers. This amounts to a purchase price of approximately 215 million euros ($340 million) on a fully diluted basis. ILog's board has approved the transaction and, subject to the receipt of a satisfactory fairness opinion regarding the financial terms, is expected to give a final recommendation before Sept. 15, after which the offer should be filed with the French stock exchange authority. IBM has received commitments from certain shareholders to tender their shares to the contemplated offer, which represent approximately 10% of ILog's issued share capital. ILog can be found at http://www.ilog.com.