The 10 biggest tech M&A deals of 2022 (so far).

Let’s make a deal

The economic uncertainty of 2022 does not seem to have slowed the merger and acquisition activity in the IT industry. In the first eight months of the year, IT vendors, solutions providers and private equity firms continue to negotiate acquisitions and mergers with price tags in the hundreds of millions, billions and even tens of billions of dollars.

In the first half of 2022, a general decline in stock markets and declining share prices — and a drop in company valuations — led to some bargains for the acquisition activity.

Blockbuster acquisitions have the potential to reinvent parts of the IT industry. A combination of two or more companies can create a new dominant force in semiconductors, IT management tools for MSPs, or products for hybrid operating systems.

Acquiring companies may gain a technological infusion that creates a competitive edge or allows them to enter a new vertical market. An acquisition may give an IT provider additional manufacturing capacity or help the solution provider establish itself in a new geographic location.

Even mergers and acquisitions that don’t happen can be big news in the IT industry. For example, Cisco Systems is reportedly making a $20 billion bid to buy machine data platform provider Splunk in early 2022. One of the biggest news stories in the semiconductor industry this year was Nvidia’s decision to scrap its $40 billion deal to acquire Arm in the face of regulatory opposition.

In the year Here’s a look at the IT industry’s biggest acquisitions, mergers and spinoff deals in 2022 (so far). Some deals were announced last year (or in one case, even earlier) and finalized this year. Others have been announced but are still undergoing regulatory and/or shareholder approvals before closing—some of which may not happen until 2023.

While dollar value is a factor in this ranking, some mergers and acquisitions have a greater impact on the IT industry as a whole, and the channel in particular, and that is reflected in the list.