Engineered Support Systems to acquire Radian

Engineered Support Systems Inc. announced it intends to buy Radian Inc. for $42 million in cash and company common stock.

Tier Technologies buys KPMG Consulting unit

Tier Technologies Inc. has reached an agreement with KPMG Consulting to acquire its government solutions center.

SAS Institute to buy ABC Technologies Inc.

SAS Institute Inc. announced it will acquire ABC Technologies Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ABC Technologies will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of SAS.

Northrop Grumman bid for TRW turns hostile

TRW's board of directors rejected Northrop Grumman's unsolicited bid to purchase the company.

Commerce One execs buy govt. unit, form new company

Three executives of Commerce One's e-government division and three institutional investors have negotiated a $9 million buyout of the operation. The firm, now called Aquilent, will officially open March 4.

Biometrics players Identix and Visionics merge

Identix Inc. and Visionics Corp. will merge with an all-stock transaction valued at about $600 million.

Titan to buy Science & Engineering Associates

Titan Corp. of San Diego announced Feb. 25 it will acquire Science & Engineering Associates Inc., a privately held Albuquerque, N.M., provider of engineering and information technology services and specialized laser, sensor, and imaging products to the government.

Northrop Grumman's $11 billion bid for TRW shakes government market

Northrop Grumman Corp., which just two months ago finished absorbing Litton Industries Inc., now wants to acquire TRW Inc.

Soza acquires Catnaz

Information technology consultant and financial services provider Soza & Company Ltd., Fairfax Va., is acquiring technology provider Catnaz Corp., Columbus, Ohio, the companies announced Jan. 31. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Adobe stretches government arm with Accelio buy

Adobe Systems is acquiring Accelio Corp. in a $72 million deal.

Market Watch

The emergence of the government technology sector, or GTS, as a hot investment opportunity presents important questions for owners and executives running privately held companies.

Sytex buys Defense contractor

The Sytex Group Inc., Doylestown, Pa., acquired MacAulay-Brown Inc., a Dayton, Ohio, defense contractor. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

TruSecure buys Three Pillars

TruSecure Corp. of Herndon, Va., a provider of information security services to government and commercial customers, has acquired Three Pillars Inc., a Norcross, Ga., provider of security outsourcing, monitoring and intelligence services.

TruSecure builds upon Three Pillars

TruSecure Corp. has acquired Three Pillars Inc., a provider of security outsourcing, monitoring and intelligence services.

A Divine purchase: Northern Light Tech

Privately held Northern Light Technology LLC has been acquired by Chicago integrated solutions provider Divine Inc., the companies announced Jan. 22. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Federal sector is an IPO hot spot

One sure sign the government market is gaining respectability is the attention coming from Wall Street, as two government technology companies prepare to go public amid talk that other private firms soon will follow.

Zylab gets sold

Authentication services provider AuthentiDate Holding Corp., Schenectady, N.Y., plans to acquire search engine software provider Zylab International Inc., Germantown, Md., for an undisclosed number of restricted shares of AuthentiDate common stock.

SAIC to acquire software firm Infodata

Science Applications International Corp. has signed an agreement to acquire Infodata Systems Inc.

AuthentiDate to buy Zylab

AuthentiDate Holding Corp. plans to acquire Zylab International Inc. for a number of restricted shares of AuthentiDate common stock.

Viisage buys facial recognition firm

Viisage Technology Inc. has acquired LAU Security Systems for $27.5 million.