Dun & Bradstreet Corp, which put its Dun & Bradstreet Software unit up for sale at the beginning of the year, has agreed to let it go in a buyout financed by Bain Capital Inc of Boston. Dun & Bradstreet is splitting into three free-standing companies, but while Cognizant Corp, which will look after its high-growth information businesses will retain 27% of D&B Software, the $160m in cash and $50m in preferred stock that Bain is issuing to take a majority stake will go to the new Dun & Bradstreet, which is to be focused on financial information services. Principals and employees will also have a stake in the new company, which has find itself a new name – why not Management Science America? The software company is now headquartered at the old Management Science America base in Atlanta where it used to be run from the old McCormack & Dodge base in the greater Boston area. Bain Capital was also an investor in Gartner Group Inc. It is expected to float the re-born software company in the medium term.
