Latest betting odds on IT seller race

SINCE THE WORLD+DOG have nicked the Top 10 list format that has long been the hallmark of my contributions to this publication, a change of style is required. So here is my punters’ guide to firms most likely to be acquired in 2008, a year that will quite possibly even trump 2007 to become the mother and father of all M&A
years.

So get your money on now or, alternatively, be sensible and put it in the building society or towards a new sofa-bed for the guest room. Have you seen the price of them recently?

6/5F: Tibco. Solid middleware type coming under pressure in the home straight as race thins out. With BEA pulled out of the race, Tibco could be a faller here. Oracle’s stable might be the type to pick Tibco up, given its taste for enterprise software stayers.

7/4: Open Text. Oracle, EMC, Microsoft and IBM represent classy company in content management sprint. The Canadian has shown plenty of pluck to stay on but its race might be run. One to bracket alongside Vignette and Interwoven.

2/1: BMC. This is another one that could be approaching exhaustion having run a valuable race against pedigree rivals. Similar type to CA.

3/1: Novell. Has looked shattered for several years but could still be bought then chopped up for juicy parts. A lovely, fast sort in its day but has had too many bad jockeys and trainers over the years for its own good.

4/1: Citrix. Pricey sort that is feeling the squeeze from being in the same stable as Microsoft for too long.

6/1: Sun Micro. This mare out of Stanford and McNealy is looking a bit long in the tooth and might suit going to a Japanese yard. Has paired up with Fujitsu in past and could share stable in future.

10/1: Corel. A bright prospect in the 1990s but star has faded since after being overstretched under previous management. Could suit visit to Adobe stud farm in California.

12/1: AMD. Game but temperamental filly. Frustrating type that often promises much but falls at last. Jockey Club is investigating whether old rival La Intella cut across it in races dating back several years. Suspect trainer but move to Barcelona might suit it in longer races. If not, could be put out to pasture with old friends for knock-down price. µ