Remote access specialist Shiva Corp of Bedford, Massachusetts dug deep into its coffers last week when it announced it will acquire Cupertino, California-based remote networking software supplier AirSoft Inc in a share-swap deal worth around $65m. Privately-held AirSoft develops the Powerburst range of performance boosting software products targeted at the remote network computing arena – version 1.2 of Powerburst hit the streets in February (CI No 2,863). Powerburst is a data cacheing client-agent software product that provides performance increases to remote and mobile network users – without requiring any modifications to existing networks, according to the firm. Powerburst is purported to deliver jumps in application response time by 200% to 400% for remote node access to local network-based files regardless of whether users are connected via a 9,600bps wireless link, 28.8Kbps modem link or an ISDN connection. Powerburst can also be applied to address the performance problems on the Internet, such as latency and low bandwidth. The company will cost Shiva 763,900 new shares and Shiva will take a charge of $2m to earnings this quarter for acquisition-related expenses. Jagdeep Singh, AirSoft’s president, will become vice-president, technology strategy, reporting to Guy Daniello, Shiva’s senior vice-president of worldwide research and development. AirSoft’s vice-president of engineering, Don Oestreicher and the entire West Coast research and development team will continue to report to Singh.
