GXS and Inovis, both business-to-business e-commerce software and services providers, announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement to merge. The move was termed a “game-changer” by a Gartner analyst.
The two privately held companies did not disclose the terms of the merger, which is expected to close in early 2010, following regulatory review. In the interim, GXS and Inovis said they would continue to operate independently and to support and sell their respective services and software.
“After covering the B2B integration market segment for 10 years, I can say from the top of my head that this merger is, stated simply, a game-changer,” Gartner analyst Benoit Lheureux wrote in a blog posted earlier today. “Between this event and SPS Commerce’s recent filing of an IPO, the B2B market segment has changed, permanently. The other vendors will need to reassess their role in this evolving IT landscape … IT users of B2B services will need to reassess their perceptions of which vendors will be most likely to succeed.”
After the merger, Francisco Partners, GXS’ equity owner, will be the majority shareholder, with Golden Gate Capital, Cerberus, and Norwest Venture Partners taking minority positions. GXS President and CEO Bob Segert will run the combined company.