The Internet industry is getting a little like the airline business, with a raft of new pacts and alliances aimed at sharing customers. The two plan to merge their Internet clients into one big service with 600,000 customers. So when you look at what they're doing there, you can call it consolidation. But what it really is, is joining forces to try to expand their presence and more importantly to take a very strong position in the market so that they cover all their bases. Associates is the third largest independent software company.
Sciences is a top computer consulting and computer services firm.
The bid came after the two failed to agree to a friendly merger. It would be the second largest computer industry deal, following last week's DEC-Compaq marriage. In exchange, two U.S. subsidiaries of Mitsubishi promise to stop using rare wood from tropical rainforests. It's hard to keep track of all the tentacles. Mitsubishi's auto and electronics subsidiaries have agreed to stop using products made from old growth woods by the year 2002.