Micro Focus Plc yesterday announced that it has paid 600,000 new shares, worth $16m, for Stingray Software Co Inc, a Wisconsin company. Stingray made pre-tax profits of $2.5m in 1990 and had no significant net assets as of the date of the agreement other than the intangible assets reflecting ownership of software. The two have collaborated since 1987 – Stingray developed an IMS database environment for IBM personal computers, marketed by Mi cro Focus as the IMS Option to Cobol Workbench. The staff of Stingray will continue with Micro Focus, and are to play a key role in initiatives to develop additional mainframe emulation and related technologies and tools to supplement the Workbench. Stingray’s also developed DataTools, SortMVS, Data Editor facil- ity, and MVS86, and MVS/XA ISPF look and feel shell.
