Hoping to get a bigger piece of the U.S. defense budget, IBM announced Wednesday that it is buying security and analytics consultancy National Interest Security Company for an undisclosed sum.
Privately held NISC is based in Fairfax, Virginia, and focuses on the public sector, particularly national defense and security agencies. The company has more than 1,000 employees around the world, according to its Web site. Its clients include the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.
NISC itself has grown through acquisition. In 2008, it bought consultancy Multi-Threaded, which specialized in helping intelligence officials process data gathered during operations.
NISC appears to have deep ties in the U.S. defense and security community. Jose Rodriguez, a former head of the Central Intelligence Agency’s national clandestine service, joined the company in 2008, and its board members include former CIA director Michael Hayden, a retired U.S. Air Force general.
The company will be rolled into IBM’s Global Business Services unit and work in concert with Big Blue’s Business Analytics and Optimization Services for Public Sector teams.
The pending deal will also include an NISC affiliate, Technology and Management Services, and is expected to close in the first quarter.