Syncsort acquires Cogito to enhance growing big iron to big data software portfolio and database expertise

Highly differentiated technology allows Syncsort to liberate locked-away IBM z Systems mainframe data for use in machine learning while lowering mainframe costs and improving IBM DB2® and CA IDMS™ performance

Press releases

Syncsort, a global leader in Big Data and mainframe software, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Cogito Ltd., maker of specialized software that can access IBM z Systems mainframe data, significantly improve the performance of IBM DB2® and CA IDMS™ database management systems on IBM z/OS, and lower mainframe costs for the world’s largest enterprises. This is Syncsort’s third acquisition of a UK-based mainframe software company, all of which deepened its capability to bridge the gap between Big Iron and Big Data.

More than 80% of corporate data resides or originates on mainframes today. It is typically the most valuable data in the enterprise, making it a critical ingredient for next-generation machine learning and Big Data systems. This acquisition builds on Syncsort’s strengths in delivering key mainframe data to cutting-edge Big Data platforms like Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark and Splunk, while simultaneously increasing efficiency and lowering costs on the mainframe.

“Syncsort continues to heavily invest in acquisitions that help enterprises quickly deliver valuable data assets from mainframe and legacy systems to next-generation Big Data platforms, on premise and in the cloud. Acquisitions of companies with highly differentiated, complementary technology and top talent are an integral part of our overall growth strategy,” said Josh Rogers, CEO, Syncsort. “We are fortunate to find a company like Cogito that further extends our leadership position in Big Iron to Big Data and shares our commitment to customer value through cost-effective solutions and unmatched support.”

The Cogito performance suites, EZ-DB2 for IBM DB2 and EZ-DB for CA IDMS deliver improved application response time, throughput and CPU utilization that both speed processing and significantly lower metered mainframe costs.

EZ-DB2 for IBM DB2 complements traditional DB2 performance tools by taking a unique end-to-end ‘Workload-Centric & Workload-Aware’ approach to performance optimization for both dynamic and static SQL, providing critical information to better manage and optimize workload performance. Use cases, like at a well-known luxury European car manufacturer revolve around resolving the complications in performance optimization caused by ever increasing volumes of dynamic SQL from distributed Java and .Net applications, ad hoc query reporting tools and packaged applications.

EZ-DB for CA IDMS products are among the leading third party tools for CA IDMS — in use at many of the world’s largest CA IDMS installations. In one use case, British Telecom has employed EZ-DB for CA IDMS tools as an essential part of the implementation and ongoing performance of their CA IDMS-based Customer Service System (CSS) that underpins the company’s transactions with its customers.

Through its acquisition-based and organic growth strategy, Syncsort has expanded its portfolio of mainframe and Big Data software in recent years with products such as Ironstream®, an innovative solution that provides mainframe machine data in real-time to Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud™ customers; DMX-h, which integrates mainframe application data with Apache Spark and Apache Hadoop, both on premise and in the cloud; ZPSaver Suite, which offloads expensive CPU intensive tasks to specialty zIIP engines; DL/2, which allows customers to migrate data from IBM IMS to DB2/z without changing existing applications; and Zen, which offers network management and security components for z/OS. Syncsort also continues to invest in growing its leadership in high performance sort for z Systems with its MFX franchise.

Cooley LLP served as legal advisor to Syncsort.