Wheelings & Dealings: IBM Acquires Database Company Cloudant to Enhance App Development

IBM (News - Alert) has completed its acquisition of privately held database-as-a-service (DBaaS) provider Cloudant, though no figure was announced by the company.

Boston-based Cloudant allows its user-base, which is largely made up of developers, to use its cloud platform for storing, analyzing, and distributing data for creating “next generation” mobile and web apps.

IBM, who had previously announced its intention to purchase the company, will be using Cloudant’s services to assist clients in utilizing big data, cloud, and mobile trends. Cloudant counts Hothead Games amongst its clients, who create games for iPad, iPhone, and Android (News - Alert).

IBM already has extensive operations in Big Data and Analytics, Cloud Computing and Mobile, which Cloudant will now add to, providing developers with the tools they need to build and test apps.

Cloudant is integral to IBM’s MobileFirst solution and is mobile app development softwareWorklight, explains IBM. The acquisition of Cloudant will aim to accelerate the development and design process of apps.

“With the acquisition of Cloudant, IBM is helping to fuel a new era of next generation mobile and web apps built on the cloud," said Sean Poulley, vice president, databases and data warehousing at IBM, in a statement. “Boosting IBM’s Big Data and Analytics, Cloud Computing and Mobile offerings, Cloudant's open, cloud database service will bring entirely new levels of simplicity and scalabilty to developers.”

Cloudant CEO, Derek Schoettle, also spoke of the acquisition, adding, “A new generation of developers has grown up coding against web frameworks and cloud infrastructure. When Cloudant launched in 2010, we knew this next wave of innovation would be a core market for our service. Now in 2014, we’re seeing web development transition to the enterprise, and, as part of IBM, we couldn't be in a better spot.”