Microsoft in talks to buy Jerusalem's Zoomix

If a deal to buy the information management firm goes through, it will be Microsoft's third acquisition in Israel this year.

5 June 08 19:28, Shahar Zadok

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) is in talks to acquire Jerusalem-based start-up Zoomix Data Mastering Ltd. for $20-30 million. Zoomix develops information management software.

According to IVC online, Zoomix has raised $5 million from Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) and the Safra Group, which invested $1 million in the company in 2000. The company was founded in 1999 by Avinoam Omer, Noam Shindler, and Ariel Shoham.

Zoomix's CEO is Amir Biran. It has 25 employees. The company has developed self-learning data quality management software that uses semantic technology to locate errors in enterprise data. The solution is applied in business intelligence, customer relations management (CRM), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. Gartner Group named the company a Cool Vendor in 2006.

If a deal goes through, it will be Microsoft's third acquisition in Israel this year. It acquired business intelligence company Yadata Ltd. in January for $20-30 million, and desktop virtualization company Kidaro Ltd. a month later for $90 million.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 5, 2008

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