IBM won stockholder approval of a buyout bid and closed another acquisition deal in two recent developments that will bolster its product and service offerings.

Internet Security Systems (ISS) will become an IBM subsidiary after shareholders approved a $US1.3 billion cash offer. IBM announced on August 23 that it was buying the company. ISS' security services aim to protect networks, servers and desktop and laptop PCs by pre-emptively blocking Web threats, such as spam and viruses. When announcing the potential purchase, IBM said ISS will become part of IBM Global Technology Services division and that it plans to keep ISS' 1300 employees.

IBM completed its $US1.6 billion bid for FileNet last week, a move that adds to the company's enterprise content management (ECM) portfolio. FileNet's content management and business process applications have been used by 4300 businesses. Although IBM runs its own ECM division and FileNet's software will be added to that business, the company will support both platforms. FileNet's applications will be integrated with IBM's business process management and service-oriented architecture wares.

The FileNet buy is IBM's fifth purchase in the SOA market. In August it bought business processes tools developer Webify Solutions for an undisclosed sum and offered $US740 million for service management company, MRO Software. In 2005, IBM acquired hardware appliance company, DataPower, in October and portal technology and tools business, Bowstreet, in December.