Oracle Acquires Dyn - A Supereme DNS Provider in $600+ Million

Business software vendor Oracle announced on Monday that it is buying cloud-based Internet performance and Domain Name System (DNS) provider Dyn.

Dyn is the same company that was hit by a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack by the Mirai botnet last month which knocked the entire Internet offline for a few hours, crippling some of the world's biggest and most popular websites.

Since the company provides cloud-based DNS service to customers such as Spotify, Netflix, Twitter and Pfizer, the acquisition will help Oracle's cloud customers to optimize their infrastructure costs and performance.

According to the press release, the Dyn acquisition "extends the Oracle cloud computing platform and provides enterprise customers with a one-stop shop for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)."

"Oracle Cloud customers will have unique access to Internet performance information that will help them optimize infrastructure costs, maximize application and website-driven revenue, and manage risk," said Kyle York, chief strategy officer of Dyn.

The company said Dyn's immensely scalable and global DNS is not just a critical core component but also provides a natural extension to Oracle's cloud computing platform.

So, the deal would help its cloud customers improve access and page-load speeds for their websites using internet performance information.

Oracle did not disclose the acquisition amount it paid for Dyn, but a source close to the deal told Fortune that Oracle paid somewhere between $600 Million and $700 Million to acquire Dyn.

Dan Primack reported that Oracle paid around $600 million for Dyn, though Dyn has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Oracle is far behind Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is the market leader in the infrastructure cloud computing market. The deal would potentially make the company compete with Amazon's AWS and on Microsoft's Azure – Route 53 and Azure DNS.

Softbank buys ARM for $32 billion in cash

Japanese telecommunication giant SoftBank has confirmed that the company intends to acquire UK chip designer ARM Holdings for almost $32 Billion (£24.3 Billion) in an all-cash deal.

ARM has also agreed to this offer from SoftBank and said that its board would recommend the all-cash deal to shareholders.

SoftBank will pay nearly $22.5 per ARM share, which is 43 percent more than ARM's closing share price on Friday and 41 percent more than ARM's all-time high closing share price.

The deal is the largest-ever acquisition of a European technology business, first reported by The Financial Times.

Wondering Why is ARM really Worth $32 Billion?

Founded in 1990, Cambridge-based ARM Holdings designs microchips for a variety of smartphones and powers more than 95 percent of the smartphones in the market.

Whether it is Apple's iPhones or iPads, Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, Amazon's Kindle e-readers, the cheapest Nokia phones or Internet-connected devices like Nest's smart thermostats, Fitbit's fitness trackers, Canon's EOS cameras, Ford's cars, and DJI's drones, all are powered by ARM-based chips.

Here’s what ARM chairman Stuart Chambers said about the acquisition:

"This is a compelling offer for ARM shareholders, which secures the delivery of future value today and in cash. The board of ARM is reassured that ARM will remain a very significant UK business and will continue to play a key role in the development of new technology."

ARM does not actually manufacture chips, but rather it licenses its semiconductor technologies to a huge variety of device makers. ARM not only dominates the market for smartphones but also used in other consumer gadgets, industrial-like devices and "Internet of things."

So, SoftBank’s acquisition of ARM Holdings means the Japanese company is buying the most valuable company in the world of mobile processors.

SoftBank said that ARM Holdings, which currently has 4,064 employees worldwide, will remain headquartered in Cambridge, and that the company would retain ARM's senior management team, brand, as well as a lucrative partnership-based business model.

The Japanese firm has also promised to double the staff headcount in the United Kingdom over the next five years.

Here’s what SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said about the acquisition:

"We have long admired ARM as a world renowned and highly respected technology company that is by some distance the market-leader in its field. ARM will be an excellent strategic fit within the SoftBank group as we invest to capture the very significant opportunities provided by the Internet of Things."

Son described the ARM acquisition as "one of the most important" acquisitions in the history of its Japan-based business.

This is the latest major tech acquisition in last few months. At the beginning of this month, Antivirus firm Avast acquired AVG Technologies for $1.3 Billion in cash and last month; Microsoft made its biggest acquisition by buying LinkedIn for $26.2 Billion in cash.

Antivirus firm Avast to BUY AVG for $1.3 Billion

Antivirus company Avast Software is planning to acquire Dutch rival AVG Technologies for $1.3 Billion in cash.

Avast announced today that it would buy Amsterdam-based AVG Technologies for $25 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.3 Billion in an aim to expand its presence in the emerging markets.

With more than 230 Million users worldwide, Avast provides free and paid security software packages for both PCs as well as mobile devices to businesses and individuals.

The deal between the two popular security software companies will provide Avast with 400 Million endpoints -- devices that have some form of Avast or AVG application installed. Around 160 Million of those are mobile.

However, AVG technologies was in controversies for updating its policy that clearly said that the company will be allowed to collect and sell users' "non-personal data" to online advertisers in order to "make money" from their "free offerings" so they can keep them free.

With access to a large number of devices, Avast will be granted more opportunities in Internet antivirus and security-related business, giving the company a bigger pool of data on malware to offer better security products.

"We believe that joining forces with Avast, a private company with significant resources, fully supports our growth objectives and represents the best interests of our stockholders," AVG CEO Gary Kovacs said in a statement.

The deal will also provide Avast with an expanded geographical reach in its primary business as well as the growing number of Internet of Things -- physical devices connected to the Internet, Avast said in a statement.

The offer of $25 per share on AVG represents a 33 percent premium to its closing price Wednesday on the NY Stock Exchange. Avast will fund the transaction using cash on hand and debt financing.

This is the next major tech acquisition in last few months. Just last month, Microsoft made its biggest acquisition by acquiring LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, for $26.2 Billion in cash.

Microsoft to BUY LINKEDIN

Microsoft has announced that it is planning to acquire LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, for $26.2 Billion in cash.

Yes, Microsoft announced today that it would buy LinkedIn for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 BILLION.

It is so far the biggest acquisition made by Microsoft, which has made 8 takeovers, including Skype in 2011 and Nokia in 2013, worth more than $1 Billion.

According to the tech giant, LinkedIn will retain its own brand and product, and also LinkedIn's existing CEO Jeff Weiner will remain as the company's chief executive.

LinkedIn will now become a part of Microsoft's productivity, and business processes segment and Weiner will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Here's what Nadella said about the deal:

"The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world's professionals. Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet."

The offer of $196 per share on LinkedIn represents a premium of 49.5 per cent to LinkedIn's Friday closing price.

LinkedIn is the world’s most popular as well as largest professional social network and continues to grow. With the launch of new version of its mobile app last year, the company has increased its member engagement and enhanced its news feed to deliver better business insights.

Both Mr. Weiner and LinkedIn’s chairperson, co-founder and controlling shareholder Mr. Reid Hoffman back the deal.

"Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn's network, now gives us a chance also to change the way the world works," Weiner said in the statement.

"For the last 13 years, we have been uniquely positioned to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful, and I’m looking forward to leading our team through the next chapter of our story."