Sterling Software

{{Short description|Defunct American software company (1981–2000)}}

{{distinguish|Sterling Commerce}}

{{Infobox company |

name = Sterling Software|

logo = Sterling Software logo.svg |

fate = acquired |

successor = Computer Associates International |

foundation = 1981|

defunct = 2000|

location = 20px USA|

key_people = Sterling Williams, Sam Wyly, Charles Wyly, founders|

industry = Software development|

products = Software|

}}

Sterling Software was an American software company founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1981 by Sterling Williams and brothers Sam and Charles Wyly.{{cite web|url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1837/91205794000148/filing-main.htm |title=STERLING SOFTWARE INC, Form 10-K/A, Filing Date Jan 26, 1994 |publisher=secdatabase.com |accessdate =May 14, 2018}} The company was acquired by Computer Associates International in 2000 in a stock-for-stock transaction worth $3.3 billion.{{cite press release

|url=http://www.secinfo.com/darwj.5b.htm

|title=SEC Info - Computer Associates International Inc - 425 - Sterling Software Inc - On 2/15/00

|date=2000-02-14

|publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

|accessdate=2008-08-20

}}{{cite web|url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/520/35602801000001/filing-main.htm |title=COMPUTER ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL INC, Form 10-Q, Quarterly Report, Filing Date Feb 7, 2001 |publisher=secdatabase.com |accessdate =May 14, 2018}}

Computer Associates sold Sterling Software's Federal Systems Group to Northrop Grumman in 2000.

{{cite press release

|url = http://www.it.northropgrumman.com/who/history.html#1997

|title = Northrop Grumman - Who We Are - History - Joining Northrop Grumman in 1997

|publisher = Northrop Grumman

|accessdate = 2008-09-26

|url-status=dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081026110543/http://www.it.northropgrumman.com/who/history.html#1997

|archivedate = 2008-10-26

}}

It was known for its aggressive acquisitions, most notably the hostile takeover of Informatics General Corporation in 1985.{{cite journal

|url=http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/mags/an/&toc=comp/mags/an/2006/03/a3toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/MAHC.2006.51

|title=Informatics Acquisition by Sterling Software: Unsolicited Offer, Takeover Attempt, and Merger

|first=Walter F.

|last=Bauer

|journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing

|volume=28

|issue=3

|date=July–September 2006

|publisher=IEEE Computer Society

|pages=32–40

|doi=10.1109/MAHC.2006.51

|s2cid=34259417

|accessdate=2008-08-20

|url-access=subscription

}}

Informatics was one of the first established software and services companies. It developed the MARK-IV Fourth-generation programming language in the 1960s. MARK-IV became the first software package exceeding $1 million in revenue, after IBM was forced in 1969 to unbundle software from their hardware.

Helped by financing and counseled by Werner Frank, one of Informatics' founders who had left this company a year before, Sterling Software started the hostile takeover by offering to shareholders an interesting price per share and increasing it slowly until the Informatics board was no longer able to reject it.

Overnight, Sterling Software became a $200 million in revenue company up from $20 million.

After only two years, they started again acquiring new companies.{{cite journal

|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SMG/is_n7_v11/ai_10885688

|title=Cautiously approaching client/server computing - Sterling Software Inc.'s Systems Software Group

|journal=Software Magazine

|date=June 1991

|first=John

|last=Desmond

|accessdate=2007-08-29

}}

Acquired Systems Center, Inc. of Reston, Virginia, in 1993 in a stock-for stock transaction worth $185 million, Sterling Software's 20th acquisition.{{cite news

|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0DA1F39F931A35757C0A965958260

|title=COMPANY NEWS; Sterling Software to Buy Systems Center

|date=1993-04-02

|first=Andrea

|last=Adelson

|work=The New York Times

|accessdate=2008-08-20

}} In the process of this acquisition, Sterling Software was completely restructured along lines of business, as opposed to the previous practice of absorbing acquired companies as essentially equivalent divisions.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

Acquired Atlanta-based KnowledgeWare in a stock-for-stock transaction worth $74 million in 1994, in the process eliminating about 250 jobs in the combined companies.{{cite news

|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE2D61E30F931A35751C1A962958260

|title=Sterling Software Finished Deal For Knowledgeware

|date=1994-12-02

|work=The New York Times

|accessdate=2008-08-20

}} KnowledgeWare's founder Fran Tarkenton joined the Sterling Software board of directors as part of the deal.

Acquired Texas Instruments's Dallas-based software division (known as TI Software) for $165 million cash in 1997, about 66% of its previous year's revenue.{{cite news

|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5D9153EF931A15757C0A961958260

|title=Sterling to Buy Texas Instruments Unit

|date=1997-08-22

|work=The New York Times

|accessdate=2008-08-20

}} The acquisition included the rights to CA Gen.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

Acquired Boston-based Cayenne Software for $11.4 million in cash in 1998, Sterling Software's 30th acquisition.{{cite press release

|url = http://www.itweb.co.za/office/bytes/9808311348.htm

|title = Sterling software announces agreement to purchase Cayenne Software

|date = 1998-08-31

|location = Johannesburg, South Africa

|accessdate = 2008-08-20

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081007062905/http://www.itweb.co.za/office/bytes/9808311348.htm

|archive-date = 2008-10-07

|url-status=dead

}}

Acquired Fremont, California–based Interlink Computer Sciences in 1999 for $64 million in cash, merging Interlink into Sterling's existing Network Management Division.