One small acquisition could have a big impact on the industry

Even if you've not yet heard of Trigo Technologies, some industry analysts say IBM's recent acquisition of this privately held, 150-employee company is a significant development for any IT professional struggling with data synchronization issues.

Data synchronization—the process of ensuring that a piece of information, such as a product name, is translated properly as it moves from one information system to another—has become a major concern in the era of e-business. And except for a few companies in the consumer products industry—where major retailers like Wal-Mart have required suppliers to tackle this problem—almost no one has mastered the art of data synchronization.

Trigo specializes in product information management (PIM), which could be considered the core component of data synchronization. A PIM system takes data from any applications within an enterprise or supply chain that need to share information. It puts the data in a format that all of the systems can understand and then places it in a central repository from which it can be retrieved when needed. Moving data into and out of the repository requires the use of middleware that is compatible with all of the surrounding systems, and that is where IBM comes in.

Big Blue is packaging Trigo's PIM system as part of its WebSphere middleware suite, in effect creating a complete data synchronization solution.

Kara Romanow, an analyst with Boston-based AMR Research, says IBM's acquisition of Trigo "is a positive move for these vendors and the industry general." She expects IBM's presence in the space to inspire other vendors, including enterprise software suppliers like SAP and Oracle, to create large-scale data synchronization solutions that can be used to tie together companies and supply chains that employ disparate applications.

If that happens, this seemingly small transaction will have made a major impact.