International Data Group (IDG) – publisher of ARN, Computerworld, CIO, Macworld, PCWorld and CSO – is set to be acquired by private equity funds managed by investment firm Blackstone.
Private equity funds managed by Blackstone entered into a definitive agreement to acquire International Data Group, Inc. (IDG) from Oriental Rainbow, a subsidiary of China Oceanwide Holdings Group, for an enterprise value of USD$1.3 billion (AUD$1.69 million).
Founded in 1964, IDG provides market intelligence for the technology industry. For more than five decades, it has delivered proprietary insights and data for technology suppliers and buyers on every major shift in the technology market.
IDC’s research, data, advisory services, and events leverage more than 1,100 analyst experts worldwide to provide global and local expertise on technology and industry trends in over 110 countries.
The IDG Communications subsidiary is a trusted editorial voice within the technology space, including the premium media brands CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, PCWorld, and Tech Hive.
IDG said that their new ownership will allow IDG to invest significantly in additional opportunities for ongoing growth across its technology and product portfolio, including strategic acquisitions to extend its market leadership position.
Peter Wallace, Global Head of Core Private Equity at Blackstone, said: “The high-quality data, analytics, and insights IDG delivers to technology leaders are only becoming more critical as the pace of growth and innovation accelerates. IDG has a trusted brand and deep knowledge of tech suppliers and buyers, and our investment will help the company accelerate its plans for creating even more advanced product offerings across its business.”
IDG and its subsidiaries have made multiple recent acquisitions to further increase its capabilities for its customers. In 2020, it purchased account based marketing (ABM) platform Triblio to expand its software-as-a-service offering and bolster its ability to support robust marketing activation programs. In May 2021, it acquired Metri to increase its rich IT pricing dataset, adding IT budget and operations benchmarking and sourcing services.
“Additional capital investment from Blackstone will allow us to cultivate our rich history of innovation and accelerate our product roadmaps to bring our customers the deeper insights and data they need to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy,” added Mohamad Ali, CEO of IDG.
