Sensing a need among its customers for faster software development, IBM has acquired UrbanCode, a provider of tools suited for the emerging practice of rapid software development called devops. UrbanCode's ARA (application release automation) software automates the process of delivering applications and application updates directly from development shops to end-devices such as mobile phones and servers. UrbanCode packaged its core ARA software as part of a devops integrated suite of tools for building, deploying, provisioning and releasing software packages.