Quest Software

The bidding war for Quest Software Inc. continued, this time with a mystery buyer making a more than $2.3-billion offer for the company that makes software for businesses and governments. The latest bid of $27.50 a share came from a "strategic bidder," Quest said, and is nearly $2 higher than the June 15 offer of $25.75 from private firms Insight Venture Partners and Vector Capital. Quest, which is based in Aliso Viejo, declined Monday to say who the new offer was from. It marked the fourth bid since Insight started the bidding at $23 a share in March.

AUSTIN, Texas — Dell Inc.'s journey toward business transformation has run into a rough stretch of road. The Round Rock, Texas, computer maker is shrinking this year in the face of weaker global demand for conventional PCs, intense low-cost competition from Asia, and the rise of Apple Inc. and its highly successful smartphones and tablet devices. Those factors all played parts in Dell posting second-quarter revenue of $14.5 billion, which was down 8%, or nearly $1.2 billion, from the same quarter a year earlier.

Quest Software said Friday that it's being bought by investment firm Insight Venture Partners for $23 per share, which the company says values it at $2 billion. Shares of Quest, which helps companies manage databases and provides other corporate IT services, are up 24 percent, or $4.57, to $23.97 in afternoon trading. Insight is putting up $210 million and borrowing $1.2 billion to pay for the shares outstanding, not including CEO Vinny Smith's 34 percent stake. Smith is keeping his stake, which will be rolled over into the private company, and will remain as CEO. He owns 28.3 million shares, which are worth about $549 million, according to FactSet.

Computer giant Dell Inc., facing falling demand for personal computers, made one of its biggest moves yet to bolster its software business. Outbidding rivals, Dell said Monday that it agreed to acquire Orange County software developer Quest Software Inc. for $2.4 billion. The acquisition will boost its software offerings to businesses and governments, Dell said. The deal ends a months-long bidding war that saw offers for Aliso Viejo-based Quest rise from an initial bid of $2 billion from a private investment firm.

Quest Software Inc. accepted a sweetened $2.17-billion bid from Insight Venture Partners and agreed to the addition of Vector Capital to the buyout group. Insight's new cash offer of $25.75 a share topped a bid of $25.50 that Aliso Viejo-based Quest received last week. That offer came from personal computer maker Dell Inc., a person familiar with the matter said. The deal's termination fee was increased to $25 million from $6.3 million, Quest said. Quest said March 9 that it agreed to be acquired by Insight for $23 a share, and two months later said it received several other proposals that it anticipated would lead to a superior offer.

The Irvine maker of Web-related software for electronic businesses reported a net loss of $5.7 million, or 7 cents a share, for the first quarter, compared with a profit of $943,000, or 1 cent a share, for last year's first quarter. Revenue more than doubled to $28.7 million from $12.8 million. Its stock gained $4.69 to close at $45 a share, though results were issued after the market closed.

Technology firm Quest Software Inc. has agreed to go private in a deal valued at $2 billion. The Aliso Viejo software company said Friday that it had agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Insight Venture Partners for $23 a share in cash, a 19% premium over its closing price Thursday. The announcement led to a surge in Quest's stock price, with shares rising $4.67, or 24%, to close Friday at $24.07, as some investors bought on the prospects of a bidding war for the company.

A bidding war may be erupting over Quest Software Inc., an Aliso Viejo company that makes software for businesses, organizations and governments. In a filing with regulators Thursday, Quest said it has received an offer for the company that is higher than a previous bid of $2 billion from New York investment group Insight Venture Partners. Quest declined to identify the latest bidder but said that it was proposing to pay $25.50 a share, or $2.17 billion. Insight is offering $23 a share, or about $2 billion.

Computer giant Dell Inc., facing falling demand for personal computers, made one of its biggest moves yet to bolster its software business. Outbidding rivals, Dell said Monday that it agreed to acquire Orange County software developer Quest Software Inc. for $2.4 billion. The acquisition will boost its software offerings to businesses and governments, Dell said. The deal ends a months-long bidding war that saw offers for Aliso Viejo-based Quest rise from an initial bid of $2 billion from a private investment firm.

Quest Software Inc., a Newport Beach developer of custom software products for business, said that Raymond J. Lane, president and chief operating officer of Oracle Corp., has joined its board of directors. Lane joined the five-member Quest board as a director and member of the compensation committee. He sits on Oracle's executive committee and oversees its management committee. Oracle, in Redwood City, develops and markets database software.

The bidding war for Quest Software Inc. continued, this time with a mystery buyer making a more than $2.3-billion offer for the company that makes software for businesses and governments. The latest bid of $27.50 a share came from a "strategic bidder," Quest said, and is nearly $2 higher than the June 15 offer of $25.75 from private firms Insight Venture Partners and Vector Capital. Quest, which is based in Aliso Viejo, declined Monday to say who the new offer was from. It marked the fourth bid since Insight started the bidding at $23 a share in March.

Quest Software Inc., the software maker that agreed to be bought by a group led by Insight Venture Partners, said it has received a higher offer of $27.50 a share in cash, the third takeout deal the company has announced. The bid from an unidentified stategic suitor is superior to a $25.75-a-share offer Quest accepted from Insight last week, the Aliso Viejo, California-based software company said today in a statement. Dell Inc. had previously offered to acquire Quest, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Quest Software Inc. accepted a sweetened $2.17-billion bid from Insight Venture Partners and agreed to the addition of Vector Capital to the buyout group. Insight's new cash offer of $25.75 a share topped a bid of $25.50 that Aliso Viejo-based Quest received last week. That offer came from personal computer maker Dell Inc., a person familiar with the matter said. The deal's termination fee was increased to $25 million from $6.3 million, Quest said. Quest said March 9 that it agreed to be acquired by Insight for $23 a share, and two months later said it received several other proposals that it anticipated would lead to a superior offer.

A bidding war may be erupting over Quest Software Inc., an Aliso Viejo company that makes software for businesses, organizations and governments. In a filing with regulators Thursday, Quest said it has received an offer for the company that is higher than a previous bid of $2 billion from New York investment group Insight Venture Partners. Quest declined to identify the latest bidder but said that it was proposing to pay $25.50 a share, or $2.17 billion. Insight is offering $23 a share, or about $2 billion.

Technology firm Quest Software Inc. has agreed to go private in a deal valued at $2 billion. The Aliso Viejo software company said Friday that it had agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Insight Venture Partners for $23 a share in cash, a 19% premium over its closing price Thursday. The announcement led to a surge in Quest's stock price, with shares rising $4.67, or 24%, to close Friday at $24.07, as some investors bought on the prospects of a bidding war for the company.

Quest Software said Friday that it's being bought by investment firm Insight Venture Partners for $23 per share, which the company says values it at $2 billion. Shares of Quest, which helps companies manage databases and provides other corporate IT services, are up 24 percent, or $4.57, to $23.97 in afternoon trading. Insight is putting up $210 million and borrowing $1.2 billion to pay for the shares outstanding, not including CEO Vinny Smith's 34 percent stake. Smith is keeping his stake, which will be rolled over into the private company, and will remain as CEO. He owns 28.3 million shares, which are worth about $549 million, according to FactSet.

Quest Software Inc., an Irvine maker of Web-related software for electronic businesses, said Tuesday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a Canadian company. Financial terms were not disclosed. Quest would acquire MessageWise Inc. in Ottawa, Ontario, to help extend Quest's market reach. MessageWise provides performance monitoring and configuration management products for Microsoft Exchange e-mail networks.

Web-related database software maker Quest Software Inc. in Irvine said Tuesday that it will buy back up to 2 million shares of its common stock. The company did not set any timeline for the buyback and has not committed to repurchase any specific number of shares, according to its press release. As of Nov. 9, the company said it had about 88.3 million shares outstanding. Quest shares gained $7.38 each Tuesday to close at $38.88 in Nasdaq trading.

Quest Software Inc. of Aliso Viejo reported higher second-quarter revenue and gave revenue outlooks for the third quarter and full year. Second-quarter revenue rose to $126.9 million from $107.1 million in the second quarter of last year, the software maker said. The company said it expected third-quarter revenue to be in the range of $128 million to $135 million. For 2006, revenue is expected to be $535 million to $545 million, it said.