Software AG of the UK Ltd has acquired Computer Applied Technology Ltd, a developer of computer based training courseware, for a sum in excess of UKP1m. Software AG, with offices in Derby, St Albans, and Edinburgh will absorb Computer Applied’s 10 employees and its offices in Middlewich, Cheshire and Workington in Cumbria, and has plans to expand the company forthwith. Training courseware provides on-going computer based training software that will complement Software AG’s existing classroom-based training courses in computing. Software AG has noted a shift away from classroom-based teaching and was asked by its existing customers, including the Department of Environment, ICI Plc and British Petroleum Plc, for disk-based training. As a result, Software AG entered into a distribution agreement with a computer-based training software writer, a competitor, a year ago. This agreement recently came up for renewal and at the same the company was approached by a broker on behalf of Computer Applied. The company was looking for a buyer as the two founders had already had to mortgage their houses once when they set up the company, and expansion would have required a renewal of the same risk. In joining Software AG, Computer Aided has gained a customer base of 5,200 to attack, new channels of distribution and major financial backing. With the acquisition, Software AG will develop computer based training courseware for its Adabas database, its Natural fourth generation language and its Entire range of middleware. Software AG will also get another 120 potential customers.