IBM acquires Alcatel's IPTV billing partner for $865M

IBM said is set to acquire enterprise and telecom network management company Micromuse in an estimated $865 million all-cash deal. Micromuse's NetCool software and IBM's Tivoli IT service management technology will form a comprehensive billing solution for triple play services: voice, video, and data. Micromuse began partnering with IBM six years ago. Micromuse is also a formidable partner in the Alcatel-SBC IPTV solution, providing the OSS/BSS for the end-to-end package. Some of Micromuse's other customers include: Cox Communications, Deutsche Telecom, NTT, Shanghai Telecom, Swisscom Mobile, Telecom Italia, and Verizon.

For more on the IBM acquisition:
- see this press release