The U.S. economy has entered a period of sustained if fragile growth, and despite some lingering concerns, companies are opting to deploy their cash in strategic mergers and acquisitions in 2011. In this report, we look at the market landscape involved in technology M&A, as well as five large-cap, cash-rich companies likely to engage in this space: IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Cisco and Hewlett-Packard. We discuss their likely strategies in the cloud-computing, mobile and cleantech sectors, among others; and we examine the factors driving the M&A trend, from industry consolidation and rising competition to corporate brand building. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Skype, 3PAR, Google, Cloudera and Research in Motion. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.