The world's second-largest PC maker, Dell, has just announced that it will be buying Texas-based Perot Systems, a provider of information technology services and business solutions. The acquisition offer stands at $30 in cash per share (totaling $3.9 billion) and will see Perot become Dell's services unit. As part of the signed agreement, Peter Altabef, the current Perot Systems CEO, will head Dell's new services division.

"We consider Perot Systems to be a premium asset with great people that enhances our opportunities for immediate and long-term growth," said Michael Dell, Dell's Chairman and CEO. "This significantly expands Dell's enterprise-solutions capabilities and makes Perot Systems' strengths available to even more customers around the world. There will be efficiencies from combining the companies, but the acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other."

If everything goes smooth (and there's no reason to think it won't), the transaction bringing Perot Systems under Dell's wing will be closed in the November - January time frame.