Micro Focus announced Wednesday its intent to merge with HPE’s Software Business Segment in a transaction valued at approximately $8.8 billion.

The proposed merger creates “one of the world’s largest pure-play infrastructure software companies,” said Micro Focus.

The proposed merger with HPE Software is consistent with our recent acquisitions of Serena Software and the Attachmate Group,” said Kevin Loosemore, Executive Chairman, Micro Focus.

“The combination of Micro Focus with HPE Software will give customers more choice as they seek to maximize the value of existing IT assets, leveraging their business logic and data along with next-generation technologies to innovate in new ways with the lowest possible risk,” he added.

The merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including anti-trust clearances and shareholder approval and is expected to close in Q3 2017.

Micro Focus and HPE also announced as part of the transaction the intent to enter into a commercial partnership naming SUSE as HPE’s preferred Linux partner.

Micro Focus and HPE also announced their intent to enter into a commercial partnership naming SUSE as HPE’s preferred Linux partner as well as exploring additional collaboration leveraging SUSE’s OpenStack expertise for joint innovation around HPE’s Helion OpenStack and Stackato Platform-as-a-Service solutions.

SUSE and HPE are working together to define the specifics of the commercial partnership.