Sterling Buys Mainframe Management Vendor

Sterling Software disclosed today that it's acquiring Interlink Computer Sciences Inc., a provider of management applications for controlling mixed mainframe-IP networks. Sterling, which makes application development and system management software, will pay $64 million for Interlink.

With the acquisition, Sterling picks up technology from Interlink that lets IBM OS/390 mainframes communicate with TCP/IP networks securely, essentially giving legacy networks access to Internet services.

Sterling has been on a buying spree. The company has purchased 33 other businesses over its history, and the Interlink deal is Sterling's second in three weeks. In early March, Sterling bought storage-management vendor Spectra Logic Corp.

Both companies expect the deal to be completed by early May.