JDA Software To Acquire QRS

JDA Software Group Inc. said Thursday that it will acquire QRS Corp. in an all-stock deal valued at more than $100 million. The companies will combine their strengths as providers of enterprise software and services for the retail sector, and together, will have annual revenue of more than $340 million.

The acquisition gives JDA a leading electronic-product catalog that retailers, suppliers, marketers, and manufacturers can use to collaborate and exchange product information. QRS operates and hosts the QRS Catalogue, a database of around 100 million items from more than 3,500 vendors, manufacturers, distributors, and their retail customers. JDA execs say they plan to integrate this network of data with existing JDA products.

Under the agreement, QRS will be merged with a wholly owned subsidiary of JDA. The acquisition is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter.

In a statement, the companies said James Rowley, QRS's senior VP and chief technology officer, will join JDA as senior VP of operations and will become part of JDA's Product Strategy Council. Also, Ray Rike, QRS's senior VP of worldwide sales and field operations, will join JDA as senior VP of collaborative solutions.