CSC makes cloud deal in midst of buyout talk

The same week speculation ramped up that Computer Sciences Corp. was about to split, the company quietly made an acquisition that seriously bolsters its cloud computing capabilities.

While the value of the acquisition of Autonomic Resources is so small that it doesn’t require disclosure of a price tag, it is still significant because of the company’s position as the first to complete the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, known as FedRAMP, more than two years ago.

FedRAMP is the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for secure cloud services in the government.

The company also has several other cloud related vehicles and certifications including with the Defense Department and the Department of Interior.

In its brief press statement, CSC touted the additional cloud capabilities.

“The combined team will accelerate CSC’s time to market for [FedRAMP] and Defense Information Systems Agency authorized, certified cloud solutions,” the statement reads.

CSC is targeting a whole range of cloud opportunities including infrastructure, platform and software as a service requirements. Those X-as-a-service offerings are in demand as agencies move to the next generation of infrastructure technologies, the company said.

The deal for Autonomic closed Feb. 19, but the company has posted a press release and only sent me the statement when I requested.

Feb. 20 was the day speculation heated up that CSC would split its government and commercial business with the commercial business going to a foreign buyer and a private equity buyer taking control of the public sector business.

CSC has been in turnaround mode for several years, and now might be the time for its exit. But as someone reminded me after my last posting about CSC, we’ve heard these rumors before.

But whatever happens to CSC over the next few months, the Autonomic Resources deal is an indication that it is staying focused on continuing to shape and update its offerings. That should pay off whether or not the rumors come true.