According to Information Week, IBM on Wednesday said it has acquired privately held Viacore Inc., a provider of supply chain software and services, for an undisclosed sum. IBM officials said the acquisition was made with an eye to giving the company a bigger presence in what it claims is a $23 billion market for supply chain technology and services.

IBM already operates a significant supply chain technology and consulting practice through its Global Services arm. Viacore, based in Irvine, CA, operates with less than 40 employees, but its customer list features a number of household names, including The Gap and hewlett packard. Viacore's BusinessTone software is designed to create direct links between businesses and their suppliers.

The deal marks the latest in a string of acquisitions by IBM in the business process outsourcing market. Its other recent buys in the BPO arena include Daksh eServices, Liberty Insurance Services Corp., Maersk Data, and Key MRO. The deals indicate that CEO Sam Palmisano wants to emphasize technology-enabled services offerings over pure technology at IBM.