Evidence is mounting that IBM's bid for Sun Microsystems was
more than just rumor. The Wall Street Journal reported today that IBM has lowered
its bid to between US$9 and $10 per share.
According to the report, the transaction price was in the
range of $10 to $11 a share during past negotiations. Sun is reported to have
accepted the lower price in return for assurances that IBM will complete the
transaction even if it faces scrutiny from antitrust regulators.
With this level of specificity, I'm more convinced that IBM could potentially purchase Sun. However, these types of deals are not over until they are over.