Salesforce.com Inc.’s (NYSE:CRM) acquisition of Demandware Inc. (NYSE:DWRE) , a provider of software-as-a-service e-commerce solutions, took a step ahead yesterday with an important regulatory approval by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The two companies jointly announced that the regulatory body has granted an early termination of the waiting period for a review of the transaction under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act.
The HSR Act seeks to ensure due filing of all documents necessary for mergers, acquisitions and transfer of assets or securities by companies with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.
Shares of both Salesforce and Demandware rallied on the announcement before ending the day on a slight gain.
Notably, the companies inked a definitive agreement in the first week of June under which Salesforce would acquire Demandware for approximately $2.8 billion. (Read: Salesforce (CRM) Inks its Biggest Deal, Buys Demandware)
Under the terms, Salesforce will make a purchase offer of $75.00 per share in cash for all outstanding shares of Demandware. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2017.
Headquartered in Burlington, MA, Demandware specializes in providing support for websites, mobile applications and digital storefronts. Its offerings include Demandware Commerce Center, Demandware LINK, Development Platform and Commerce Cloud. The company’s customers consist of multinational corporations, retailers and branded consumer product manufacturers.
The acquisition is expected to add significant value to Salesforce's existing portfolio. Not only will it enhance the process efficiency of both companies, but will also improve the CRM platform’s efficiency in handling sales, marketing and service functions.
Demandware’s digital marketing capability will enable Salesforce to create a strong marketing platform. The deal will boost Salesforce’s competitive advantage and help the company grab a significant market share from traditional software providers such as Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) and SAP SE (TO:SAP) , both of which already offer cloud-based e-commerce services.
On the whole, the buyout is expected to help Salesforce cash in on the opportunities in the digital e-commerce marketing space. This is the largest acquisition that the company has made to date.
For Demandware too, the deal is expected to be quite beneficial, given the huge scope for growth. As Tom Ebling, the CEO of Demandware, put it, "Becoming part of Salesforce will accelerate our vision to empower the world's leading brands with the most innovative digital commerce solutions that enable them to connect 1:1 with customers across any channel."
Currently, both Salesforce and Demandware carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
SALESFORCE.COM (CRM): Free Stock Analysis Report
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DEMANDWARE (DWRE): Free Stock Analysis Report
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