Mergers and acquisitions are uncommon in the Japanese computer industry, but two of the largest PC software distributors, the number two, Software Japan Inc, and the number five, Software International Inc, are to merge under the Software Japan name. The combined revenues of the two firms last year were around $112m, just behind the current number one, Japan Soft Bank, which does about $130m a year. The two say they are merging because of the increasing complexity of personal computer software, which means that resellers are required to offer specialised installation and support services, leaving no room for the company that simply moves packaged products.
