Toshiba Tec and IBM announce initial closing of acquisition of IBM’s Retail Store Solutions unit
New York -- Toshiba Tec Corp. and IBM announced the initial closing of the transaction in which Toshiba Tec will acquire IBM's Retail Store Solutions (RSS) business. The agreement was announced on April 17, 2012.
Toshiba Tec has established Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation, a holding company, of which Toshiba Tec holds 80.1% ownership and IBM holds 19.9% ownership.
Under the holding company, Toshiba Tec also has established Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, which has begun business operations in four countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia. Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions has its headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C. With the newly formed subsidiaries, Toshiba Tec has become the world's leading integrated in-store solutions company, offering products and solutions that provide new value to customers.
As part of the transaction, Toshiba Tec and IBM will enter into a multi-year agreement where Toshiba Tec will join IBM's Smarter Commerce business partner program as a Premier Business Partner for Smarter Commerce. This agreement will help ensure that IBM's portfolio of enterprise-level Smarter Commerce solutions and services, which extends from the corporate data center to the local retail store, and Toshiba Tec's customer-facing retail store solutions, are available to customers worldwide to meet the growing demand for multichannel commerce.
“As we have seen over the first half of the year, consumer expectations are rising for flawless retail experiences that extend from the store floor to their favorite mobile device," said Craig Hayman, general manager, Industry Solutions, IBM Software Group. "By partnering with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, we combine IBM's enterprise offerings with a strong suite of in-store products, expanding our Smarter Commerce capabilities to provide multi-channel buying solutions for the growing Smarter Commerce market opportunity."