IT management software company CA Technologies’ revenue grew 5% to $1.2bn in its second quarter of fiscal year 2012, ended 30 September 2011, compared to the same quarter in FY 2011.

Year-over-year revenue grew to $1.2bn, up 5%, while the total revenue backlog was $8.07 bn, up 4% in constant currency and as reported, said the company.

Geographically, North America revenue was $735m, up 10%. International revenue was $465m, down 1%.

Total bookings in the second quarter were $972m, down 4%. North America bookings were $664m, while international bookings were $308m, down 11% in constant currency and 8% as reported.

The company said that it has signed a total of 10 license agreements with contract values in excess of $10m each, for an aggregate contract value of $321m. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, the company signed a total of 14 license agreements with contract values in excess of $10m each, for an aggregate contract value of $361m.

Mainframe Solutions revenue was $655m, Enterprise Solutions revenue was $449m, and services revenue was $96m, said the company.

Name change; it’s one way of leaving the past behind. For the second time in just five years, the company formerly known as Computer Associates, and then CA Inc, is changing its name. The previous name change was an effort to distance itself from a financial scandal that saw then CEO Sanjay Kumar plead guilty to fraud charges in 2006. But that rushed change of identity left the firm with a name that it now says doesn’t convey enough about what it does. It’s also not great for search engines: incoming CEO William McCracken said he was fed up with searching for ‘CA’ and getting results for the state of California. Hence the latest rebranding, say hello to CA Technologies.

CA Technologies has IBM to thank for its 30-plus years in business. The company was only able to exploit its focus on mainframe software thanks to IBM’s decision in 1969 (albeit under regulatory pressure) to unbundle the sale of mainframe hardware from mainframe programs and services.

With revenue up 2% in 2010, and profit up 15%, CA Technologies is looking in pretty good shape. The change of name is neither here nor there, but the enhanced focus on virtualisation and cloud will help maintain the company’s relevance to the modern IT organisation.

Let’s hope the new CA Techologies has finally shaken off some of the shackles and dubious sales practices of the past.