7 October 2009

News outside the show: Emerson deals for data center provider …

Emerson Electric Co. will pay $1.2 billion to pick up network equipment and software provider Avocent Corp.

The St. Louis, Mo.-based manufacturing and technology services company said the deal should boost Emerson’s ability to deliver total infrastructure management solutions to its data center customers around the world.

Huntsville, Ala.-based Avocent had sales of $657 million last year.

Avocent board unanimously endorsed the terms of the deal, which should close around the beginning of next year.

This deal comes close on the heels of Xerox’s $6.4 billion pact for data center management firm Affiliated Computer Services Inc.