Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Novell buys open source firm SiteScape

Novell Inc. reports it has purchased Maynard-based developer of open-source team collaboration software SiteScape Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

The SiteScape technology will add team workspace and real-time collaboration capabilities to Waltham-based Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL), officials said. Novell partnered with SiteScape in 2007 to add to its collaboration portfolio with Novell Teaming + Conferencing, a team workspace and real-time conferencing product based on SiteScape's ICEcore open-source technology.

According to Wendy Steinle, director of marketing for Novell's workgroup business unit, nearly every one of SiteScape's 45 employee will become a Novell employee, including the vast majority of the management team. The exact details of titles and positions for the management at SiteScape is still to be worked out, she said.

SiteScape will stay in its facility in Maynard, Steinle said.

Founded in 1995, SiteScape's web-based collaborative team software products are in use by business and government customers. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

For 2007, Novell reported a loss of $44.5 million, while bringing in revenue of $932.5 million.