IBM Corp. said that it has acquired Net Integration Technologies Inc., a privately held software company based in Toronto. Net Integration Technologies specializes in server software for small and medium businesses. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

New Motion Inc. announced that it has completed its buyout of Traffix Inc., the Pearl River company that provides Internet advertising for clients.

The buyout, originally announced on Sept. 26, valued Traffix at more than $138 million. As a result of the transaction, Traffix became a wholly owned subsidiary of New Motion, a digital entertainment company based in Irvine, Calif.

Traffix stockholders own about 45 percent of New Motion as a result of the deal. The headquarters of the combined companies will be based in New York City.

Traffix started in 1993 as Quintel Communications, providing clients with television and direct mail advertising, as well as telemarketing services. Seven years later, the company switched its focus to the Internet. The company’s client base included advertisers, direct marketers and wireless phone companies.

“This transaction combines two highly complementary companies into a digital advertising and entertainment network,� said Burton Katz, chief executive officer of New Motion, said in a written statement. “We are now able to further leverage the growing convergence trend between the online and wireless mediums.�

Shares of New Motion trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “NWMO.�

The Canadian Minister of Industry has cleared the way for IBM Corp. of Armonk to acquire Ontario-based software maker Cognos, IBM said today.

Among other things, IBM agreed to ensure that senior managers would either be Canadians or be based in Canada, and to maintain certain employment levels, the company said.

IBM has agreed to buy Cognos for almost $5 billion, making the company its biggest acquisition to date. The company said it expects to close the sale shortly. Cognos will remain headquartered in Ottawa.

PepsiCo Inc. of Purchase has reached an agreement to buy Penelopa, a producer and seller of nuts and seeds in Bulgaria for an undisclosed price. Penelopa was started 10 years ago and operates one plant. The company employs nearly 200 people.

Fortistar LLC, an energy company based in White Plains, closed on its acquisition of Algonquin Power Income Fund’s six landfill gas-to-energy projects in California and New Hampshire, Fortistar said today.

The $11.3 million deal closed Dec. 21, Fortistar said.

The projects expand Fortistar’s presence in states that aggressively support expansion of green and renewable energy, it said.

Paraco Gas Corp. agreed to acquire the Uxbridge, Mass., operations of AmeriGas, a national propane supplier, Paraco said today.

With the deal, inked this week, privately held Paraco gains 1,500 AmeriGas residential, commercial and industrial customers in central Massachusetts, the Rye Brook-based company said.

The purchase is the second Paraco has made in Massachusetts in as many months. Last month, Paraco acquired the propane division of Blackstone Gas, marking Paraco’s entry into the Bay State.

Prudential Rand Realty has agreed to buy Peterkin & Fitzgerald Real Estate Ltd., a Pearl River-based agency founded in 2004.

Terms of the deal, announced today, weren’t disclosed.

Prudential Rand said its search for a manager to head its Pearl River office led to the decision to purchase Peterkin & Fitzgerald.

Broker-owners, Greg Peterkin and Mary Fitzgerald, will join Prudential Rand’s Pearl River office as branch manager and training manager, respectively.

As part of the transaction, Peterkin & Fitzgerald will close its office at 44 Franklin Ave., relocating its 25-member sales staff to Prudential Rand’s office at 19 E. Central Ave.

Prudential Rand is Rockland County’s largest real-estate firm, based on sales, according to Prudential Rand. It has 20 offices and employs more than 700 salespeople in the Hudson Valley.

Pleasantville-resident John Pizzarelli has been named chief executive at CIFG Holding Ltd., a Bermuda-based bond insurer, it said today.

The appointment was announced in connection with the completion of a $1.4 billion buyout of CIFG by two Paris-based bankers, Banque Populaire Group and Caisse d’Epargne Group.

Pizzarelli assumes his leadership duties as the company is evaluating its long-term strategic plan, CIFG said.

CIFG established its headquarters in Bermuda earlier this year.

Jacques R. Rolfo, who had served as CIFG’s chief executive, is no longer with the company, CIFG said.

Pizzarelli spent more than 20 years at Armonk-based MBIA Inc. as head of global infrastructure before moving to CIFG last spring, a spokesman said.

IBM Corp. has agreed to buy Solid Information Technology, a privately held maker of database software, based in Cupertino, Calif., and Helsinki, Finland.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Armonk-based IBM said the purchase broadens the company’s portfolio of database and information-management offerings, augmenting IBM’s software business, which currently provides 20 percent of total sales and 40 percent of IBM’s profit, Big Blue said.

Solid Information Technology is the 12th acquisition announced by IBM this year.

The acquisition is expected to contribute to IBM’s goal for achieving growth in per-share earnings through 2010, IBM said.

At about noon, IBM stock was trading at $110.30 a share, up $1.44, or 1.3 percent.

Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. of Somers will expand in western upstate New York through an agreement to buy Pepsi-Cola Batavia Bottling Corp., a family owned and operated bottler based in Batavia.
The acquisition will expand Pepsi Bottling’s territory to Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties along with parts of Livingston, Alleghany and Cattaraugus counties.
Pepsi Bottling is already the world’s largest manufacturer, seller and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages, with annual sales of nearly $13 billion and more than 70,000 employees worldwide.
In addition to U.S. plants, Pepsi Bottling has operations in Canada, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Greece.
Pepsi-Cola Batavia, founded in 1890, has been owned by Thomas and John Houseknecht. Financial details of the transaction were not revealed. The deal is expected to close next year during the first quarter.
“We are very pleased to expand our footprint in upstate New York,” Eric Foss, Pepsi Bottling’s chief executive officer, said in a written statement. “The Houseknecht family has built a strong business through a combination of superb customer service, desirable product offerings, and active community involvement.â€?

IBM agreed to buy Arsenal Digital Solutions, a privately held technology company based in Cary, N.C. Arsenal sells data protection products used in industries that include healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing. IBM did not disclose financial terms when it announced the deal on Thursday. Armonk-based IBM said the deal is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2008 pending approval by regulators.

ENT and Allergy Associates LLP said yesterday it will expand further in New Jersey next March following a merger with North Jersey Ear, Nose, Throat & Hearing Center, based in Denville.

The merger will result in the opening of a new 5,000-square-foot office in Parsippany, where North Jersey’s roster of three doctors will be joined by two more next summer.

The Parsippany office will be the sixth New Jersey location for Greenburgh-based ENT. Following the merger, ENT and Allergy Associates will have 81 physicians in 25 offices in New York state and New Jersey.

Angelo Gordon & Co., a private investment company based in Manhattan, has completed its buyout of National Home Health Care Corp., a Scarsdale-based provider of home health care and staffing services. The completion of the deal comes after the approval by the New York State Department of Health on Nov. 16, according to a statement yesterday released by National Home Health. National Home Health shareholders will receive $12.75 per share in cash. The deal was originally announced nearly a year ago but was delayed while National Home Health considered competing offers from Premier Home Health Care Services Inc.

Northeast Community Bank said today it completed its purchase of Hayden Financial Group LLC, an investment advisory firm in Westport, Conn. The deal, announced in June, allows Northeast Community Bank to offer investment advisory and financial planning services. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. White Plains-based Northeast has five branches in New York City and a mortgage-only office in Massachusetts.

Vascular Surgical Associates of Scarsdale relocated to Rye this week to join The Westchester Medical Group, a multi-specialty practice with 125 physicians at 1 Theall Road in Rye. The Scarsdale office, at 14 Harwood Court, is closing after 25 years. The surgeons are Dr. Kenneth S. Schwartz, Dr. Neil S. Weintraub and Dr. George O. Piccorelli. They will also continue to see patients in their Yonkers office at 136 South Broadway. Patients can call 914-848-8750 for an appointment at either office, and medical records can be accessed from both locations.

USI Holdings Corp. said it has agreed to acquire Jericho, Long Island-based Armitage & Co., a provider of property, casualty and other insurance products and services.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the Briarcliff Manor-based company said it expects the acquisition to add about $2.5 million to annual revenues.

Armitage will be combined with USI’s existing Woodbury office, USI said.

Westcon Group Inc. of Tarrytown said this week that it had bought the wireless networking company Cernet of America, Inc. and its related Mexican company, Cernet Tecnologia en Telecomunicaciones, S.A. de C.V. Terms were not announced. Cernet has a customer base of over 300 resellers throughout the Caribbean and Latin American region, an area not currently served by Westcon.

PepsiCo of Purchase said yesterday it will buy Comercio de Doces Lucky Ltda., a Brazilian snack company. Terms were not disclosed. Lucky’s brands include Torcida and Fofura, which together account for the bulk of its revenues. The transaction is subject to approval by CADE, Brazil’s competition authority.

MVC Capital Inc. of Purchase said yesterday that it had invested $24 million in Custom Alloy Corp. of High Bridge, N.J., a manufacturer of pipe fittings for the natural gas pipeline, power generation, oil and gas refining and extraction, and nuclear generation markets. The investment includes $14 million of subordinated debt and a $10 million minority equity interest.

Shleppers Moving & Storage, a residential and commercial moving company based in Elmsford, recently acquired Elmsford-based Royal Moving Systems, Inc., a full service residential and commercial moving company, and Miracle Moving, a high-end company based in New York City.

Allen Golan, who was president of Royal, was named chief operating officer of Shleppers, and Nissim Knafo, founder and former chief executive officer of Miracle, is now senior relocation consultant.

“Royal’s systematic approach to organization and transportation and its strong customer focus will enable our expanded company to offer a broader range of moving services to the Westchester market,� said Shleppers President Louisa Benjamin-Bohm, a Harrison resident who founded the company in 1978. “Miracle adds expertise in white glove and intricate moves for design professionals.�