To strengthen its software business, Dell announced plans to acquire Quest Software for $2.4 billion.
Round Rock-based Dell, which started out as a PC company in 1984, has recently begun to diversify into more software and solutions products. Dell recently launched its software group.
Quest’s software products and technology will only strengthen Dell’s move to provide end-to-end software solutions to companies.
Quest reported $857 million in sales in 2011. It has 1,500 software sales experts and 1,300 software developers that will join Dell.
Dell’s software business is currently worth about $1.2 billion in annual revenue.
Quest, founded in 1987 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., has more than 100,000 global customers including 87 percent of the Fortune 500. The company has approximately 3,850 employees and operates 60 offices in 23 countries.
“The addition of Quest will enable Dell to deliver more competitive server, storage, networking and end user computing solutions and services to customers,” John Swainson, president, Dell Software Group, said in a news statement.