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Morning round up | Published on 03/09/10
More fun with femtocells and we ask - will US Telcos ever learn?
The latest telecoms M&A rumours involving AT&T buying Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW) have all the hallmarks of silly season rumour designed to drive share trading volumes in otherwise quiet times (as with similar rumours regarding Autonomy), but also got us thinking about successful M&A between US and UK/European telcos. Sadly we couldn’t think of any. Read our full rant in Newswire Plus.
ip.access raises £10.2m; but at a reduced valuation
We initiate coverage on ip.access, another UK pioneer in femtocells alongside PicoChip and Ubiquisys. Like these two, ip.access has just raised significant new funding (£10.2m in May 2010 plus £2.8m to come) and enjoys a blue chip list of strategic and financial investors. Unlike the other two, ip.access has an existing business as a developer of mobile picocells, and therefore enjoys higher revenues but also equally eye-watering losses. Financial pressures are evident in the company having to renegotiate debt repayments and undertaking the most recent funding at a reduced valuation. Premium subscribers can read our full review here and Premium Plus subscribers can see the full ip.access profile here.
Datatec builds African presence for Westcon with Comztek purchase
Infrastructure services player Datatec was back on the acquisition trail yesterday as it announced the purchase of South African IT and networking products distributor Comztek for ZAR97m (£8.8m) in cash and shares. Based in South Africa, but with a presence across Africa, Comztek will be combined with Datatec’s distribution subsidiary Westcon to boost its African presence.
Datatec shares have more than trebled over the last 18 months as the company has emerged from recession. Our recent conversations with CEO Jens Montanana had suggested that Datatec would return to the acquisition trail as market conditions recovered with the emphasis on emerging markets so we would expect more acquisition like this going forward from Datatec.
OFT not to refer Idox’s Grantfinder acquisition
Supplier of software and services to local authorities Idox announced yesterday that the OFT has decided not to refer its acquisition of Grantfinder to the Competition Commission. Premium Plus subscribers can read our previous thoughts on the matter here. Whilst it would not have been a major disaster for Idox to have this bolt-on acquisition referred, it is clearly very good news that the company is now able to get on with generating a return for shareholders from the acquisition.
More recent round-ups
- Logica appoints Keating to run Benelux and InternetQ follows Velti and Globo
- Norcon warns, Bango raises funds, and Redstone sells
- Torex coming out the other side and slow contract closure hits Misys
- AMQ decline hits Micro Focus, and M-PESA mobile money goes from strength to strength
- Positive Daisy and TIG results, a Focus bid, and Cambridge Broadband fundraising
- Amino’s Italian job and confident AltNet restates M&A intent
- Workplace SaaS strategy coming good and we initiate on Clearswift
- Daisy’s very healthy acquisition and System C reassures
- SaaS strategy emerging at Sage and Anite’s 4G driven first half
- Positive signs from Sanderson and GB and we initiate on Cambridge Broadband
- A transformational deal for Brady and we talk Cloud with Phoenix and Iomart
- Digital Barriers raises next round and sales closure delays hamper Patsystems
- Autonomy’s lack of deal news disappoints and we assess the outlook for SRT and PicoChip
- Accelerated growth for Ffastfill and we analyse Azzurri’s results
- Telecom Plus powers on, and Kcom to double shareholder returns
- RM looks to international markets and Ubisense and PicoChip raise fresh funds
- Vislink’s major portfolio rejig, and Ousourcery’s gain was C&W’s loss
- K3 builds MS capability with Panacea and a positive parting shot from DiData
- XLN’s excellent FY10, and Velti 9 month revenues and cash burn up strongly
- Strong interims from ACS prompt upgrades and CWW suffers at hands of UK mid market resellers
- Upbeat Eckoh to pay dividend, and CSF’s sale and leaseback-boosted profits
- Misys to buy Sophis and we review a strong quarter for UK mobile operators
- Cisco stock slips on weak outlook and BT raises guidance after good Q2
- Daisy consolidates rival consolidator SpiriTel, whilst Micro Focus suffers mixed trading
- A brighter future for Vodafone and Bach to leave Kewill
- Anite reports on a strong first half and Redstone turns buyer
- Lumison’s £100m buy and build ambition and Amor gets going on M&A plans
- Spirent sees pick up in LTE and we analyse Atex’s 2009 accounts
- Insipid recovery at Logica underlines weak positioning and a polarised performance from Alterian
- Arqiva attracts even more red ink and SRT reports bumper interims
- Telecity announces 7% capacity increase, whilst Iomart grows hosting revenues 25% through Titan buy
- Microsoft’s record quarter and musings on mVOIP
- Percello read across for PicoChip, and a rant about Promethean’s IPO
- Virgin ups the broadband ante and Equinix beats (lowered) guidance
- Bango’s update of two halves and SmartFocus parts company with CEO
- i3 Group’s big bet on fibre, and eServGlobal to return bulk of Oracle cash to shareholders
- Unicom’s stonkingly good results, and Sky continues to grab telecoms share
- COLT strikes a more cautious tone and is Bond building on sand?
- CWW signs PS MoU with HMG and Lagan recovery rewarded
- Apple and IBM like apples and pears and football shirts impact cash flow at Autonomy
- BT avoids heavy public sector cuts and Redstone sells maintenance businesses to Maintel
- Unequivocal recovery message from Computacenter and NCC makes decisive move in the US
- Multiple mobile stories from Monitise, Probability, Synchronica and Crimson Tide
- Storming results from Datatec and a slimmed down Instem returns to the market
- Star Internet’s less than stallar performance and Aveva sees continuing patterns
- Azzurri’s new CEO on growth, strategy and debt refinancing, and we initiate on GCI Telecom
- The quietest of Fridays and we add two new companies
- Autonomy and Daisy’s M&A ambitions examined
- Acision raises $100m from existing backers and Equinix shares hammered by (modest) warning
- Solution1 the latest to go the private equity route and Ffastfill in line at half time
- AltNet scales up with Scalable Communications and Focus Solutions completes its journey
- Redstone’s emerging new strategic direction and what next for ACS’s valuation?
- Velti’s numbers all over the place and Redstone spring clean continues
- Banking still a problem child for Misys and Zamano starting to stabilise
- Iris Software delivers robust 2010 results and ECI backs XLN as consolidation platform
- Hg’s Visma exit highlights resurgent private equity and System C strikes a more upbeat tone
- CSG’s £237m bid for Intec and Sophos reports continued growth
- Resilient NBT turns in another strong year and Ubiquisys looks to Asia for latest funding round
- No sign of a slowdown for Allocate and Black invests in Pinnacle
- Dealogic sees caution returning to capital markets and we review (another) flat year for Midland
- Freedom Communications’ managed services aspirations and RM successfully through busy summer
- Oracle focuses to become a one stop shop and there’s no stopping Blackberry (at least for now)
- 3UK’s £2,077 net debt per subscriber and Anite’s continuing long term evolution
- Host Europe swaps private equity owners and we initiate on Snell
- EMIS looks forward to EMIS Web roll out after solid H1 and PicoChip reports strong year
- K3 outperforms and Norkom warns
- More details on 1st The Exchange and how falling costs are driving femtocell and m2m deployment
- Profits ahead of expectations at ACS and TIG lands a biggie
- EMIS receives approval for EMIS Web and Vodafone exits China Mobile
- Phillips appointed at Micro Focus and XLN’s micro focus
- Craneware’s healthy results and the medicine is finally working for Kofax
- More fun with femtocells and we ask - will US Telcos ever learn?
- SRT on the crest of a wave but tougher times for Distribution Technology
- Chess not yet bored with acquisitions and Alterian builds in social media
- A brace of dire Aussie results and we spot Hawkins’ departure from Atex
- Computacenter confirms project rebound and we opine on mobile M&A
- Hello to Airwave and Amor and goodbye to WIN
- Growing momentum for Monitise and Interxion posts strong Q2
- Redstone’s fresh start and Clinical Solutions enjoys a better year
- What we missed in the last two weeks
- Logica pleases market with dividend move and 3UK still going nowhere
- Spirent results support Anite’s confidence and OLM looking for a stronger 2010
- Azzurri now focussed on growth and restructuring starts to bear fruit for Maxima
- Emphatic return to growth for SDL and they think it may all be over for WIN
- Fidessa pegged back by uncertain market and Telecity goes from strength to strength
- Momentum builds for Digital Barriers and Talk Talk suffers from lack of TV
- Global results season in full swing and BT’s ‘business as usual’ start to the year
- Virgin Media has best Q2 for years, and Nick Bray turns up at Sophos
- Mixed performance from Misys and we detect rumblings on the Sage board
- RM provides detail on impact of BSF cuts and the battle for WIN takes another turn
- Contrasting fortunes for Vodafone, Microsoft and Nokia, and Digital Barriers’ 2nd Buy
- Ofcom’s pole dancing and Autonomy’s pleasing cash conversion
- Apple shrugs off PR disaster and Promethean splashes some IPO cash
- CWW waylaid by public sector cuts, and Mobile peer group report published
- WIN receives indicative offer from ECI/MIG, and in-line updates from Kewill and Brady
- Vtesse’s broad ambitions and Sage CEO speculation proves true
- NTT bids for Dimension Data and Sage speculation
- EMIS shares wobble and Montanana backs news network security roll-up
- Monitise and Ubiquisys raise funds and Computacenter updates
- Solution1 IPO plans well advanced and Avanti taps investors for another £70m
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