HP Says Bristol Technology Buy Will Boost BTO

Privately-held Bristol, based in Danbury,Conn., specializes in process monitoring technology. The company's technology will be integrated into HP Software's Technology Solution Group, according to an HP statement released Monday morning.

Terms were not disclosed but the deal is expected to close within 30 days. Bristol made waves during the last decade because of an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. The suit was settled five years ago.

HP is clearly re-invigorating its software push. It launched a Business Information Optimization unit in its software organization in mid-January.

Observers at that time said the move positions HP more squarely against IBM which fields its own giant information management group in its IBM Software organization. Interestingly, Bristol is an IBM partner. It is unclear whether that affiliation will continue.

Last summer HP showed its intention to get big in software and testing with its $4.5 billion purchase of Mercury Interactive, the IT governance and testing tools company.

Mercury also became part of HP Software, pushing that group's revenue past $2 billion annually, according to HP.