Sterling hinted at a higher bid for Informatics.

Dallas-based Sterling Software told Informatics General’s board of directors that it is willing to meet at any time to discuss raising its $26-a-share takeover offer for the much larger Woodland Hills software maker. It also announced separately that it is talking to major Informatics shareholders about buying their stock, which closed at $26.25 Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. A chancery judge in Delaware, meanwhile, rejected Sterling’s request to delay Informatics’ May 9 shareholder meeting, but another Sterling request to postpone the meeting is pending before a U.S. District Court judge in Dallas. Informatics, which rejected the $26 bid as inadequate, declined comment on the offer to meet.