Niku

Niku Corporation, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, established itself as a developer of IT management and governance software. The company was co-founded by Rhonda Dibachi. A significant milestone in its history was the initial public offering on February 28, 2000, which raised approximately $205 million.

The firm specialized in creating software solutions designed to automate core business processes for service organizations, such as internal IT departments and consulting groups. Its primary product was the Clarity IT-MG suite, an integrated set of tools for project portfolio management that assisted clients in managing the lifecycle of their technology assets. This software enabled organizations to gain a clearer understanding of project costs, resource allocation, and overall IT financial management, helping them to maximize the return on their technology investments. The business model focused on providing these internet software products and an online marketplace to a clientele that included large enterprises like Computer Associates and Xerox Connect.

The market for IT governance was expanding rapidly as CIOs increasingly demanded that technology investments contribute directly to organizational growth and profitability. Niku positioned itself to meet this demand, providing tools that helped companies manage their existing technology more effectively and comply with regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley. This strategic focus led to a partnership with Computer Associates (CA), which began reselling and supporting Niku's Clarity software. The collaboration culminated on June 9, 2005, when CA announced its acquisition of Niku for approximately $350 million in an all-cash deal. At the time of the acquisition, Niku had about 290 employees and had achieved profitability for 11 consecutive quarters, with fiscal 2005 revenues of $66.3 million. Following the acquisition, Niku was integrated into CA's Business Service Optimization unit.

Keywords: Niku Corporation, IT governance software, project portfolio management, Clarity software, Computer Associates, Rhonda Dibachi, IT financial management, professional services automation, technology asset management, business service optimization, IT investment management, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, enterprise software, software acquisition, IT lifecycle management, resource management, IT cost optimization, portfolio manager, application suites, service organizations