Computer Associates International Inc’s Global Professional Services (GPS) yesterday acquired its third Lotus Notes services and consultancy company since July with the purchase of Cleveland, Ohio-based LDA Systems Inc for an undisclosed sum. LDA does consultancy work for Lotus Notes, analysis of information from data warehouses and e-commerce for OS/400, Unix and Windows NT platforms. LDA’s Notes consultancy work fits with CA’s July acquisitions of RealLogic and Qxcom by providing more consultants to help clients with designing a move to Notes, said CA’s GPS division, which was formed in April 1998. LDA’s consultants will provide a greater presence for CA in Ohio, Atlanta and the MidWest to provide project management and consultancy. Talks between the companies have been underway for three months, one month longer than it took to strike the RealLogic deal, and 300 employees will be added to CA’s GPS consultants, which currently number between 1,400 and 1,500. 1997 revenues for LDA were $25m with gross profits of upper 30%, Sweetnich said, with clients in the manufacturing, transportation, banking, government and communications sector. CA’s chief executive, Charles Wang, at the Comdex show last week said that GPS is on track to generate $1bn in revenues by its financial year end, March 31 1999.
