To expand mobile enterprise services, technology giant IBM (News - Alert) has purchased an Israeli startup, Worklight, an HTML5 apps development company. Although financial terms were not disclosed, Israeli publication Calcalist indicated that the acquisition price could be around $70 million, wrote TechCrunch reporter Leena Rao.

However, industry sources indicate that IBM may have paid about $95 million to buy Worklight, according to a report posted on the Marker. It also said that this would be IBM’s announced 11th acquisition in Israel.

So far WorkLight (News - Alert) has raised $18 million in funding from investors. The company enables organizations to develop and deliver HTML5, hybrid and native applications with mobile middleware. Plus, wrote Rao, it offers features like security, integrated data management and analytics.

According to Worklight, it can dramatically reduce time to market, cost and complexity of HTML5 apps while enabling better customer and employee user experiences across more devices. The report indicates that Worklight’s customers range from companies in financial services and retail to healthcare.

For example, a bank can create a single application that offers features to enable its customers to securely connect to their account, pay bills and manage their investments, regardless of the device they are using.

IBM said that Worklight will become an “important piece of IBM’s mobility strategy,” offering clients a development platform that helps speed the delivery of existing and new mobile applications to multiple devices, wrote Rao.

According to IBM, as “Bring Your Own Device” or BYOD gains popularity in the workplace, this capability is becoming increasingly important for the company because IT departments are looking for ways to enhance security of mobile devices in the workplace without having to implement a separate infrastructure solely for mobile devices.

“With this acquisition, IBM hopes to provide an end-to-end solution that will allow enterprises to build and connect mobile apps, manage security on these apps and devices, provide analytics for mobile data, and more,” wrote Rao.

The Worklight acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter. As a result of this acquisition, Worklight will be integrated into IBM Software Group. For IBM, mobile offerings now include mobile application development, integration, security and management.

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