In today’s Bulldog wrapup of technology and life science news:

  • NetSuite closes on its $200 million acquisition of Durham-based Bronto Software
  • RBC expects “strong” earnings from Red Hat
  • Monsanto targets Syngenta shareholders
  • China frees a GSK investigator
  • HP to pay $100 million in Autonomy class-action suit

The details:

  • NetSuite-Bronto deal closes

NetSuite (NYSE: N) has formally closed on the $200 million acquisition of Durham-based Bronto Software. The deal was announced in April.

“The acquisition brings together leaders in cloud-based omnichannel commerce and marketing automation solutions. As the number one email marketing provider to retailers ranked on the Internet Retailer Top 1000, Bronto Software provides the premiere commerce marketing automation platform used by more than 1,400 brands, including Armani Exchange, Timex and Trek Bikes. NetSuite SuiteCommerce is the leading cloud-based omnichannel commerce platform, with thousands of brands leveraging the platform to drive their commerce strategies across point-of-sale, ecommerce and call center,” NetSuite stated.

“We’re thrilled to officially join the NetSuite team and we’re already hard at work bringing Bronto’s industry leading commerce marketing capabilities to NetSuite’s commerce solutions,” said Joe Colopy, Bronto Software’s CEO. “With a combined Bronto and NetSuite solution, businesses now have a single platform to better engage with their customers, drive repeat purchases and build lifelong loyalty.”

Bronto remains based in Durham.

  • Analyst: “Strong results” expected fpr Red Hat

“We’re anticipating strong results for Red Hat (NYSE:RHT) with continued strength from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and upside from emerging products,” wrote RBC’ Analyst Matt Hedberg about Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) earnings due June 18.

“Partners stated 31% of customers have made a purchase outside of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and expect that to grow 46% by this time next year.”

Notes news website SeekingAlpha about the RBC research note:

“Outside of RHEL, channel partners report their customers are most interested in Red Hat’s OpenStack cloud infrastructure (IaaS) management software, followed by its server virtualization and OpenShift cloud app platform (PaaS) software. In addition, 82% of partners report seeing positive interest in Red Hat’s new Linux container software (acts as a lightweight alternative to virtualization), which is based on the increasingly popular Docker platform.”

  • Monsanto woos Syngenta investors

“Monsanto is hosting meetings across Europe to woo shareholders in Syngenta after the Swiss seed and crop chemical firm rejected a second takeover approach from its U.S. rival on Monday,” Reuters reported Tuesday.

The news service cited one source as saying Monsanto’s chief operating officer is meeting Syngenta investors in Zurich, Switzerland.

Syngenta rejected Monsanto’s bids as “wholly inadequate.”

Read details:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/us-syngenta-ag-m-a-monsanto-idUSKBN0OO0BX20150609

  • ​GSK investigator in China freed

Peter Humphrey, an investigator imprisoned during the GlaxoSmithKline Chinese corruption scandal, has been released after two years in prison, sources told British media.

“Mr Humphrey was apparently released on health grounds and is in a Shanghai hospital having tests relating to cancer. A court reduced his sentence by seven months and he will be deported on release from hospital, ” The Financial Times reported.

Read more at:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/93d95f12-0e86-11e5-9ae0-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3cZODhnD4

  • ​HP to pay $100 million to settle case tied to Autonomy deal

Hewlett-Packard’s ill-fated acquisition of software maker Autonomy will cost another $100 million, as the personal computer and printer maker prepares to settle class-action litigation tied to the 2011 deal.

HP wound up paying a 64 percent per-share premium for Autonomy as it built up its business software line while retreating from consumer electronics. The $10 billion price tag was 11 times greater than Autonomy’s annual revenue of $870 million.

Only a month later, HP fired CEO Leo Apotheker, one of the deal’s biggest backers, as the company struggled to justify disappointing sales and a series of missteps.

HP ended up writing off most of the purchase price for Autonomy after alleging that the company had misrepresented its true value during sale negotiations. Autonomy’s founder has denied the allegations.

Hewlett-Packard Co. said Tuesday that it pay the $100 million to a settlement fund to resolve a lawsuit stemming from the impairment charge. The money ultimately will go to people who bought HP shares between Aug. 19, 2011 and Nov. 20, 2012.