BindView Reaches Out to Entevo to Diversify
In an attempt to shake its security vendor label, BindView is acquiring Entevo Corp. The software companies announced the merger Jan. 26.
The $125 million stock-swap deal brings BindView (www.bindview.com), a vendor of cross-platform network monitoring and security solutions, together with Entevo (www.entevo.com), a player in directory management products. The companies plan to integrate Entevo’s DirectManage suite of network management tools with BindView’s NOSAdmin product.
BindView will acquire all of Entevo’s outstanding stock in exchange for about 2.2 million shares of BindView stock. The merger should be finalized by late February.
BindView says DirectManage is an ideal solution for users planning to migrate to Windows 2000 and its Active Directory. "We see a potential for synergy in the combination of DirectManage and NOSAdmin," says Rick Gardner, president and CEO of BindView. Entevo also offers DirectMigrate, a standalone product for migrating directories to Windows 2000.
Rick Villars, vice president at International Data Corp. (IDC, www.idc.com), says the union is a strategy for conquering networking issues.
Entevo solutions lubricate the administration of Windows NT, Windows 2000, and the Active Directory. They simplify the management of a network by specifying domains and permissions for users based on roles within an organization and offer flexibility with changing user demands.
With Windows 2000 attempting to expand into higher-end systems, BindView may try to "up-sell into the Windows 2000 market," Villars says. BindView’s products are now used primarily on NT and NetWare systems.
While BindView presents NOSAdmin as a broad network administration suite, security products dominate BindView’s sales. The addition of directory administration products to the suite broadens NOSAdmin’s repertoire and may diminish the perception that BindView is a security company. "The acquisition of Entevo gives Bindview a broader and more robust portfolio," Villars says.
Gardner says he is trying to lead his company into "total market dominance," citing Entevo’s field sales operations as an opportunity to expand the company's reach in the marketplace.
Villars calls BindView's market embryonic. He says, "Companies compete for IT budget slices," rather than market slices. BindView’s competitors offer similar network administration products and services, but few products share enough functions and features to be direct competitors. After a year and a half of explosive growth, Villars expects the market to continue to grow and solidify.
The first product to be released by the combined company will be bv-Control for Exchange. The package will combine an Entevo directory feature with BindView’s mail server manager. The product offers security, delegation, and trouble shooting features for operating an Exchange server.