9.13.17
Flexera, the company that’s reimagining how software is bought, sold, managed and secured, announced that on September 7, it signed an agreement to acquire Mountain View, CA-based BDNA. Financial terms are not being disclosed.
“Software applications are essential tools to help companies solve business problems. But it’s the data used by those applications that ultimately powers the software ecosystem. We’re bringing together two leaders with a shared vision of how technology asset data can transform the entire software industry,” said Jim Ryan, Flexera’s CEO. “As a result of this acquisition, Flexera will have the largest repository of decision-support data available to any organization running commercial and open source software, including applications powering IoT devices. Furthermore, Flexera now has the world’s largest database of security-specific data relating to software and devices. Even if an organization has invested in a Software Asset Management (SAM), Open Source or Security application not developed by Flexera – our software and hardware asset data will dramatically increase the ROI that organization will get from their investment.”
Technology Asset Intelligence Fuels Better Decision-Making
Every day, executives rely on multiple software solutions to make business decisions. But the technology asset data feeding these solutions often is incomplete and inaccurate, resulting in poor data quality. Additionally, because these software tools don’t speak a common “data language,” they’re siloed, making it difficult to share information. This impedes collaboration, sound decision-making, and ultimately it reduces the ROI companies realize from software investments.
This software supply chain dysfunction is no longer acceptable. To succeed today, executives have to be business-ready. They have to be able to make faster business decisions wherever they are, whenever needed, leveraging any software solution they use. So, the data powering their software must be up to date, reliable, comprehensive, and speak a common language.
“Flexera and BDNA understand better than anyone else the key role technology asset intelligence plays in executive decision-support,” said Ryan. “We’ve both built our businesses on a foundation of data. We both combine broad and rich technology asset data with best-in-class automation and analytics. We both solve the most complicated software and hardware management challenges organizations face.”
The World’s Largest Technology Asset Data Platform
Flexera is an established leader in curating technology asset data. Flexera’s Nexus data cloud and software intelligence repository sit at the heart of its data strategy. Built and maintained by teams of expert, subject-matter researchers, it’s the industry’s most comprehensive software asset, vulnerability and open source repository – containing data on more than 150 million software and hardware assets.
Flexera’s data cloud harnesses the only software supplier/software buyer partnership in the industry. Software suppliers and Internet of Things (IoT) companies contribute asset data about their products directly to Flexera’s data cloud – deepening its depth and breadth. This data, in turn, powers Flexera’s own market-leading SAM, Software Vulnerability Management and Software Composition Analysis solutions. The repository is also built on an open platform, so other solution providers and system integrators can access Flexera’s data to power their own solutions.
Likewise, BDNA has built a world-class reputation in technology asset data. The company’s Technopedia data repository categorizes and aligns product technology information allowing organizations to speak a common language and make better decisions. It includes more than 2 million products and 180 million data points on enterprise hardware, software, IoT, open source, product lifecycle, vulnerabilities and more.
But, simply having the largest technology asset data repository isn’t enough. Since data “atrophies” very quickly if left untouched, it’s vital to develop the people, tools and methods to ensure data is kept current. BDNA has refined the processes for creating, managing and curating Technopedia at market velocities, capturing over 2,500 daily updates. BDNA provides industry-leading Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to guarantee its customers have the most up to date, highest-quality data. Together BDNA’s and Flexera’s data teams are unrivalled.
“By combining forces with BDNA, Flexera will have, by far, the largest, most accurate and up to date technology asset data platform in the world,” said Ryan. “We are the ‘Rosetta Stone’ delivering a common data language capable of powering any type of enterprise application today as well as emerging applications tomorrow.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased to be joining with Flexera. We have a shared vision for reimagining the software supply chain today and expanding upon it in the future,” said Walker White, BDNA’s President. “We have a shared understanding of the power technology asset data plays in that transformation. And most importantly, we have shared values and commitment to quality, customers, partners and employees essential for any market leader.”
