CA Buys Miramar Systems

Computer Associates said Thursday it has acquired Miramar Systems Inc. to bolster its desktop-management platform. Details of the cash transaction weren't disclosed.

CA will add Miramar's Desktop DNA technology to its desktop-management portfolio, which includes products for software distribution, asset management, remote control, data backup and restore, antivirus, and vulnerability management. Desktop DNA will be integrated into CA's BrightStor, eTrust, and Unicenter product lines, and Computer Associates will market the former Miramar products under the CA name.

CA senior VP for product development Mark Barrenechea said in a statement that the addition of Miramar's technology will let its customers reduce PC ownership cost, "allowing them to streamline their technology migrations, accelerate their time-to-benefit for desktop upgrades, and eliminate inefficient PC housekeeping."

When PCs are replaced or upgraded, their "DNA" of system and application settings, network and printer settings, data files and folders, E-mail address books, and other information needs to be preserved to ensure uninterrupted user productivity. Manual migration can be time-consuming, but Miramar's technology can automatically complete transfer and management of those tasks, Barrenechea said.