Quest Software has acquired erwin, a provider of data modeling, data governance, and business process modeling software, the companies confirmed today. The seller was private equity firm Parallax Capital Partners. Financial terms of the deal were note disclosed.
This is M&A deal number six that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2021. See all technology M&A deals for 2021 and 2020 listed here.
Quest Software sees erwin driving at least three major opportunities for channel partners and customers:
- Data modeling, which simplifies the migration of legacy data to cloud data stores and data lakes.
- Metadata management and data intelligence to help partners and customer improve data governance and regulatory compliance.
- Business process modeling to simplify systems implementation for large ERP, cloud, and other major technology deployments.
Erwin: Data Software Business Background
Both erwin and Quest Software have dramatically evolved their businesses over the past four years or so. Parallax acquired erwin from the former CA Technologies in April 2016. Well-known channel guru Adam Famularo — a CA and Verizon veteran — has led erwin since that time.
Key erwin milestones include launching erwin Cloud Catalyst in September 2020. The cloud suite is designed to help organizations “quickly and safely migrate their data from legacy, on-premise databases to the cloud and then govern those data assets throughout their lifecycle," erwin said during the launch.
Key erwin partners include ADRM Software, a data specialist that Microsoft acquired for the Azure cloud business in June 2020.
Fast forward to present day. Erwin now joins Quest's Information Systems and Management (ISM) business unit, which contains the Database Management, Data Protection, and Unified Endpoint Management solutions.
Quest Software: Business Background
Meanwhile, Quest Software’s roots extend back to 1987, meaning that Quest has navigated multiple IT management shifts — from PC networks to client-server, Web and now cloud-based migration and management services.
The Quest Software journey has included multiple owners — including Dell Technologies (2012-2016) and private equity firms Francisco Partners and Elliott Management (2016-present).
Quest has been active on the merger and acquisition (M&A) front. The company acquired Quadrotech and Binary Tree in 2020. Both of those deals focused on Microsoft 365 and Office 365 cloud migration software tools.
Earlier in 2020, Quest announced a management shakeup -- including the arrival of CEO Patrick Nichols.
Quest Software Acquires Erwin: Executive Perspectives
In a prepared statement about the erwin acquisition, Nichols said:
"Data-centric projects are rapidly accelerating across the enterprise. Together, Quest and erwin will continue to deliver database tools aimed at helping companies know their data, alleviating concerns about where and how their data is used. Quest’s focus on ‘Where next meets now’ drives every new capability we add to our products and each new investment. Quest was already dominant in database tooling and performance monitoring, and now by combining with erwin’s industry-leading data modeling, data intelligence, and Evolve products, this acquisition further establishes Quest as a major player in the enterprise data management market end-to-end."
Added Famularo:
"More than 3,500 erwin customers have already realized the benefits of our enterprise data management experience to build a governed, sustainable pipeline for big data efforts. Quest and erwin's products together provide a powerful solution for the digital transformation that today's enterprises require to stay competitive and address ever-growing concerns of stewardship and compliance. Thanks to metadata-driven automation, all stakeholders can discover, harvest, understand, govern, and socialize data assets to unleash more potential and greater value while mitigating risk."
Concluded Heath Thompson, president and general manager of Quest's ISM business unit:
"Data has never been more important to our customers than now, and organizations are building data-driven cultures, democratizing the use of data, and modernizing their overall data strategies. Enterprise data initiatives bring new operational and governance needs, and Quest is now uniquely positioned to help customers address those needs before they become major challenges. With this acquisition, we will extend Quest's global reach to erwin customers, including our outstanding services and support, and Quest and erwin customers will both benefit from Quest’s ongoing investments and innovations in data management and data governance.”
The Quest-erwin deal closed on December 31, 2020. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to Quest. Citi served as exclusive financial advisor to erwin Inc.
