Archive for the ‘Broadcast Vendor M&A’ Category

More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Ross Video Acquires Cambotics

broadcast industry technology trends, Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Apr 25 2012

At its NAB press conference last week Ross Video CEO David Ross detailed a series of impressive product and corporate announcements culminating with the news that it had acquired Cambotics, a maker of robotic camera heads and pedestals. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ross had hinted at the deal prior to the NAB show via a post on his personal LinkedIn page, where he occasionally discloses corporate announcements.

Robotic camera pioneers Bob Scotto and Miles Spellman, the founders of Cambotics, will be staying with Ross in the robotics division as the new Chief Hardware Architect and Chief Software Architect respectively.

This is the second robotic camera technology company acquired by Ross Video this year.   The company acquired FX-Motion in February 2012.

Ross Video showed the integration of technology from both Cambotics and FX-Motion with a complete suite of products from Ross Video. The entire demo was controlled by the Ross OverDrive production automation system, which has been a critical factor in the success of Ross Video.  David Ross told me at the NAB show although customers might have been skeptical when they first heard about the integration of robotic cameras in the OverDrive production environment, that “light bulbs went on” when they saw the demo.  If Ross is right it could be the start of something very interesting.

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Related Content:

Press Release: Ross Video Acquires Cambotics

More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Ross Video Makes Mystery Buy

Ross Video Profile in Ottawa Business Journal: 21 straight years of growth … and counting

Ross Video Says Q1 2012 Revenue Jumps 59% in Best First Quarter in Company’s History

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More Broadcast vendor M&A: Wohler Buys RadiantGrid, Latest in Series of Transcoding Deals

broadcast industry technology trends, Broadcast technology vendor financials, Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Apr 24 2012

On the first day of the NAB Show last week, Wohler Technologies announced that it had acquired transcoding vendor RadiantGrid.  Terms of the deal were not made public.

Wohler president & CEO Carl Dempsey said that RadiantGrid’s technology is complementary to Wohler’s and that the deal will help his company break into file-based processing.

The transcoding market is interesting since the technology is used to achieve interoperability between disparate file-based production systems, and to facilitate multi-platform content publishing and distribution.

There has been considerable M&A and financing activity in the transcoding space including:

 

The Wohler – RadiantGrid deal leaves AmberFin (backed by Advent Venture Partners) and Digital Rapids as the remaining stand-alone transcoding vendors. 

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 Related Content:

Press Release: Wohler Acquisition of RadiantGrid™ Paves Way for Expansion Into File-Based Media Processing and Delivery

Envivio Files for $85 Million Goldman Sachs Led IPO

Envivio Closes $16.5 Million Fundraising Round

More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Private Equity Firm Acquires Telestream

More Broadcast Vendor M&A — Telestream Purchase of Anystream Now Official

More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Cisco to Buy Inlet Technologies for $95m

Elemental Technologies: SEC Filing Disclosing 2010 Fundraising Round

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Reminder — Media Technology: Strategy & Valuation Conference at NAB 2012

broadcast industry technology trends, broadcast industry trends, Broadcast technology channel strategy, broadcast technology market research, Broadcast technology vendor financials, Broadcast Vendor Brand Research, Broadcast Vendor M&A, Broadcaster Financial Results, Devoncroft Digest, Top Broadcast Vendor Brands | Posted by Joe Zaller
Apr 13 2012

If you are attending the 2012 NAB show you might want to consider setting aside some time to attend a new half-day conference called “Media Technology: Strategy and Valuation.”

We are excited to be co-producing this event along with the NAB Show and Silverwood Partners.

This session is being held in room N237 of the Las Vegas Convention Center on Sunday April 15th from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it’s free for all registered attendees of the 2012 NAB show.

This conference will address industry-specific factors driving the valuations of companies including changing market dynamics, new technology, and evolving customer requirements. It is intended for industry technology executives, private equity investors, and venture capital investors in the media technology sector.

You’ll hear from experts from the financial community, broadcast industry technology buyers, leading service providers, and media technology market research analysts.

Download full agenda and speaker bios here

 

MEDIA TECHNOLOGY: STRATEGY & VALUATION

Presented by:

  

 

April 15, 2012

Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N237

 

1:30-2:00pm       Registration

 

2:00-2:25pm       Strategic Implications of Transitioning to Cloud and SaaS Platforms for the Media Industry

Presented by David Peto, CEO, Aframe

What is the reality of becoming a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business?

  • Opportunities and challenges with the business model from the SaaS provider perspective
  • Lessons learned from providing SaaS services to large media companies
  • Key customer variables for deciding to use SaaS services

 

2:25-2:55pm       The Broadcast & Media Technology Industry in 2012

Presented by Joe Zaller, President, Devoncroft Partners

  • Summary of key data derived from the newly published 2012 Big Broadcast Survey, the largest and most comprehensive study of the broadcast industry. Overview of the latest research from the IABM will also be provided.
  • Does brand perception impact valuation? Using data from the annual Big Broadcast Survey, color commentary and market research data will be provided to show how brand perception impacts both customer loyalty and Company valuation, and what vendors can do to change their brand perception for the positive.

      

2:55-3:25pm       Strategic Industry Analysis: Valuations, M & A, and Equity Financing

Presented by Jonathan Hodson-Walker, Managing Partner and Joshua Stinehour, Senior Vice President, Silverwood Partners

Analysis of strategic industry trends and the specific factors that affect company valuations:

  • Review of transaction activity and valuations
  • Technology shifting from a supporting role to a strategic role
  • Business opportunities and models evolving rapidly
  • What businesses are buyers targeting and why?
  • Analysis of Software, SaaS vs. hardware valuation and reasons for differentials

 

3:25-3:50pm       Online Video: Threat, Opportunity, or Both?

Presented by Andrew Taylor, VP Business Development, Grab Media

  • Expert insight on the business models of new media and multiplatform distribution.
  • Commentary on developments in online video, advertising technology, and new distribution and syndication models.

 

 

3:50-4:00             Break

 

 4:00-4:20pm       Technology Transition: Software, File-based, Cloud

Presented by Bernt Kåre Johannessen, Chief Development Officer, Vizrt

  • The business implications of file-based workflows, cloud computing, and multi-platform content delivery for both broadcasters and technology vendors. 
  • Efficiencies for the customer, business model implications, business and technology implementation challenges, revenue models, and required technologies.

 

 4:20-4:40pm       Executing the Strategic Plan: Suggestions and Recommendations for Executives

Presented by Graham Sharp, Director of Media Asset Capital

  • Understanding value and differentiation of business offering to customers
  • Unlocking strategic value of business
  • Tactical implementation of the strategic plan to fully realize value

 

 4:40-5:00pm       The Broadcast Buyer Perspective

Presented by Pat Sullivan, President and CEO, Game Creek Video

  • Game Creek is one of largest Outside Broadcast Truck providers in the US with a client list that reads like the who’s who of Broadcast: ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, HBO, NBC, MLB, NBA, and the NFL to name a few!
  • With an annual multi-million US$ budget being spent with Broadcast Equipment vendors, what do GCV want from their suppliers and what could they do better?

 

5:00-6:00pm       Cocktail and Networking Reception

 

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More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Vitec Group Acquires Camera Corps for £8 Million

Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Apr 12 2012

Vitec Group has acquired the entire share capital of Camera Corps Limited for approximately £8m.  Vitec said it financed the deal via existing banking facilities. Camera Corps will operate within Vitec’s Videocom Division and its existing senior management, including the founder, Laurie Frost, will remain with the business.   

UK-based Camera Corps provides specialty remote camera systems, tracking, support systems and full service facilities to broadcasters.

Vitec company Bexel is an existing distributor of Camera Corps Q-Ball camera system.

According to Vitec CEO Stephen Bird “the acquisition is in line with our strategy of helping our customers capture exceptional images. There is a growing appetite among consumers for more unusual and interesting camera angles and Camera Corps is a world leader in helping broadcasters capture these moments.”

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Related Content:

Vitec Press Release: ACQUISITION OF CAMERA CORPS

Vitec 2011 Results: Videocom Up 12 Percent, Bexel Down 7.9 Percent Versus 2010

Vitec 2011 Investor Presentation

Vitec 2011 Annual Report

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More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Ross Video Makes Mystery Buy

Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Apr 10 2012

Ross Video CEO David Ross said today that his company has made its fifth acquisition in the past four years.

He did not however say what they bought, or for how much.

Ross disclosed the news on via LinkedIn, where he has a habit of releasing corporate news.  According to his update (below), Ross says that all will be revealed at the company’s NAB press conference so we’ll have to wait a week to find out the details.

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Related Content:

Ross Video Profile in Ottawa Business Journal: 21 straight years of growth … and counting

Ross Video Says Q1 2012 Revenue Jumps 59% in Best First Quarter in Company’s History

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Announcing the “Media Technology: Strategy and Valuation Conference.” A Thought Provoking Kick-Off to the 2012 NAB Show.

broadcast industry technology trends, broadcast industry trends, Broadcast technology channel strategy, broadcast technology market research, Broadcast technology vendor financials, Broadcast Vendor Brand Research, Broadcast Vendor M&A, content delivery, market research | Posted by Joe Zaller
Apr 04 2012

If you are attending the 2012 NAB show you might want to consider setting aside some time to attend a new half-day conference called “Media Technology: Strategy and Valuation,” which is being produced by Devoncroft, Silverwood Partners and the NAB Show

This event is being held in room N237 of the Las Vegas Convention Center on Sunday April 15th from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it’s free for all registered attendees of the 2012 NAB show.

This conference will address industry-specific factors driving the valuations of companies including changing market dynamics, new technology, and evolving customer requirements. It is intended for industry technology executives, private equity investors, and venture capital investors in the media technology sector.

You’ll hear from experts from the financial community, broadcast industry technology buyers, leading service providers, and media technology market research analysts.

Here’s the current lineup of presenters:

David Peto CEO of A-Frame (who just raised $7m for a cloud-based broadcast production system) will discuss how SaaS business models will impact the broadcast production environment.

Joe Zaller from Devoncroft Partners will present a summary of the 2012 Big Broadcast Survey including a review of the most important industry trends, where money is being spent in the broadcast industry, the evolution of HD infrastructure and file-based workflows, and how a vendors brand can impact its valuation.

Jonathan Hodson-Walker and Josh Stinehour from specialist investment bankers, Silverwood Partners will present an in-depth analysis of strategic industry trends and the specific factors that affect company valuations such as technology, business models, and strategic positioning.

Andrew Taylor, VP of Business Development at Grab Media will provide an overview of multi-platform content delivery business models, including advertising technology, content delivery and content syndication.  This presentation will discuss the impact that multi-screen deployments may have on traditional media companies, and whether they present a threat or an opportunity for new business… or both.

Bernt Kåre Johannessen, Chief Development Officer at Vizrt will explain the business implications of file-based workflows, cloud computing, and multi-platform content delivery for both broadcasters and technology vendors.  This presentation will discuss efficiencies for the customer, business model implications, business and technology implementations challenges, revenue models, and what technologies are still needed.

Graham Sharp of Media Asset Capital will discuss how to effectively implement and execute a strategic change process.  This presentation will discuss unlocking strategic value of businesses, recommendations for execution, and understanding value and differentiation of business offering to customers.

Pat Sullivan, president of Game Creek Video, a leading sports production company, will provide the customer perspective on the dynamic evolution of the broadcast industry.  Sullivan will talk about what customers on the leading edge of technology are buying, how this has changed over time, how it might evolve in the future, and what they are looking for from broadcast technology providers.

 

 

To guarantee your place, please RSVP to nabstrategy@silverwoodpartners.com.

We look forward to seeing you there.

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Related Content:

NAB Media Technology: Strategy and Valuation Conference presented by Devoncroft, Silverwood and the NAB Show

TechCrunch Article: Aframe Goes After Avid With A Fresh $7m And A Very Big Cloud

Devoncroft – The 2012 Big Broadcast Survey

Silverwood Partners: NAB 2012 – Media Technology – Strategic Industry Analysis

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More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Buyout Speculation Drives Kit Digital Higher

Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Mar 29 2012

The stock price of IPTV video delivery specialist KIT Digital continues to be a roller coaster.  Last week the  company’s stock dropped more than 22% in one day following the disclosure that four directors had resigned from the company’s board, and that Kaleil Isaza Tuzman will step down as CEO and become chairman on March 31st.

Today the company’s shares soared after Roth Capital said in a note to investors that KIT Digital is preparing to be sold, with the likely buyers being a private equity firm.

KIT Digital is no stranger to M&A, having bought and rolled up more than a dozen companies over the past few years.  KIT hinted that it might be acquired earlier this month when it announced that it had formed a strategic transaction committee to vet potential offers.

It will be interesting to watch this play out.

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Related Content:

Management and Board Shake Up at KIT Digital Sends Stock Down 22.3 Percent

Kit digital Says its Revenue Doubled in 2011, Forms Strategic Transaction Committee

KIT digital Revenues Jump 98% in Q1 2011, Says M&A Phase is Over and Company Will Now Focus on Organic Growth Strategy

More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Kit Digital Buys ioko for $79.4m, Completes Buying Spree

More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Kit Digital Buys Three Companies for $77m, Says Larger Acquisition is Coming

More Broadcast vendor M&A: Kit digital Acquires Polymedia for $34.4 Million

KIT digital Reports Q4 and Fiscal 2010 Results, Raises Guidance, Says Big M&A Deal Still on Track

Kit digital buys KickApps, Kewego, and Kyte

Kit digital sells $100m of stock, says proceeds will be used to fund broadcast industry M&A activities.

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Envivio Reports Revenue Was Up 69 Percent in FY 2012, Updates IPO Documents

Broadcast technology vendor financials, Broadcast Vendor M&A, Quarterly Results, SEC Filings | Posted by Joe Zaller
Mar 27 2012

Video encoding and transcoding specialist Envivio, who recently closed a $16.5m fundraising round, said in an updated S-1 (IPO) filing that its revenue for the full year ended January 31, 2012 was $50.6m, an increase of 69% over the previous year.  The company attributed the increase in sales to increased consumer demand for multi-screen video services, and continued growth into the North American market.

Net profit for the full year was $138,000, versus a net loss of $2.5m during the previous year. Operating income for the year was $659,000, versus a loss of $1.99m last year.  Gross margins for the year were 63%, up from 62% during the previous year.

The company ended the year with $27.4m in cash, up from $10m at the end of last year.

Research and development expenses for the year were $6.7m, up 31% versus the previous year due to an increase in personnel-related expenses and professional services.

Sales and marketing costs for the year were $16.2m, up 82% versus the previous year due to increases in personnel-related expenses, commissions and bonuses associated with increased sales, travel expenses, and higher marketing costs.

General and administrative expenses for the year were $8.6m, up 33% versus last year due to an increase in personnel-related expenses and professional services in finance and administration.

The disclosures were made via an updated S-1 (IPO) filing with securities regulators.  Envivio first filed an S-1 in April of 2011, but has not yet become a public company.  However it appears the company is still on the IPO track, as it has updated its S-1 filing several times over the past year.

In January of this year Envivio disclosed that it had raised $16.5m in financing through the sale preferred stock. According to Envivio’s updated S-1 filing the latest round of financing was led by Sageview Capital Master, L.P., which purchased $15m of preferred shares in the company.  Crédit Agricole Private Equity also participated in this round.

Envivio has raised a total of $95.1m since being founded in 2000.

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Related Content:

Envivio S-1/A Filing: Ammended S-1 (IPO) filing with the SEC

Envivio Closes $16.5 Million Fundraising Round

Envivio D/A Filing: Disclosed newly raised funds

TechCrunch Article: On-Demand Video Services Company Envivio Files To Go Public

Previous year: Envivio Says it Doubled Revenue in Fiscal 2011

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Management and Board Shake Up at KIT Digital Sends Stock Down 22.3 Percent

Broadcast technology vendor financials, Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Mar 23 2012

There were some major changes to the management and board of directors at IPTV video delivery specialist KIT Digital, including the replacement of the company’s CEO and four resignations from its board of directors.

The company said that CEO Kaleil Isaza Tuzman will step down from his position on March 31, 2012 and assume the role of chairman.  He will be replaced as CEO on an interim basis by Barak Bar-Cohen, KIT’s current chief administrative officer.

KIT says it will conduct a search for a permanent CEO.

The company also disclosed in a filing with securities regulators that board member Santo Politi, who chaired the KIT Digital’s compensation committee and served as a member of its M&A committee, resigned from the KIT Digital board “because of differences of opinion with other members of the Board over issues related to the Company’s operations, policies and management.”

KIT also announced the resignation from the company’s board of directors by three members of its management team: Gavin Campion (KIT’s President), Robin Smyth (KIT’s CFO), and Chris Williams (KIT’s CTO).  The company said that Campion, Smyth and Williams “submitted their resignations in order to support the company’s efforts to rebalance its board towards non-management members.  All three will remain in their positions as officers of the company.

For his part, Tuzman said that the move had been planned and will enable him to focus on strategic transactions. “The shift to full-time chairman is a step I have been contemplating for some time. The strategic transaction process, which is underway at the direction of the board’s Special Transaction Committee, is at a pace that requires my dedicated focus and energy, separate to the day-to-day running of the company and investor relations responsibilities. By moving forward today with Barak as our interim CEO, we have built in some structural flexibility over the coming months as we assess strategic options.”

Investors were unimpressed with the news.  KIT’s stock traded down as much as 26% during the day trading and closed down 22.3%, prompting a series of articles about KIT’s performance, including this overview from Yahoo Finance, which highlights some previous drama at the company.

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Related Content:

Press Release: KIT digital Implements Management and Board Changes, Aligns Company for Strategic Opportunities and Operational Success

Kit Digital 8-K filing

Yahoo Finance Article: KIT digital Sinks More Than 20% After Management Shakeup

Kit digital Says its Revenue Doubled in 2011, Forms Strategic Transaction Committee

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More Broadcast Vendor M&A: SeaChange Sells Broadcast and Storage Business to Financial Buyers

Broadcast Vendor M&A | Posted by Joe Zaller
Mar 21 2012

VOD specialist SeaChange International announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its broadcast server and storage business to a group of financial investors, led by a leading US-based venture firm a venture capital group.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The deal enables SeaChange, which has had a recent management shuffle and has embarked on a cost cutting exercise, to become a pure-play software and services company focusing on back office, video streamers, gateway software and advertising solutions.

The assets of the SeacChange broadcast and storage business are now part of a newly formed company called XOR Media, which will be headed by Zheng Gao who was previously the president of the SeaChange storage and servers business.

SeaChange will become a reseller of XOR Media, but will also work with other server and storage vendors.  SeaChange says it will continue to provide customer service and support to all of its VOD streaming service provider customers, and will also provide customer service and support to any customers who purchase storage products as part of its reseller agreement with XOR Media.

“This divestiture is an important part of our strategy to transform SeaChange into a pure play software company, significantly reduce our overall cost structure, and strengthen our ability to compete in delivering next generation multiscreen video solutions, while generating cash, said SeaChange CEO Raghu Rau. “It’s important to note that this sale is not a parting of ways between SeaChange and the new company XOR Media. We will continue to work together to offer our customers a complete solution. We see this divestiture as a step toward a future relationship – not the ending of one,” Rau added.

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Related Content:

Press Release: SeaChange to Divest its Broadcast and Storage Business

SeaChange Executes Separation Agreement with Former President

SeaChange President Departs, Position Will Not be Replaced

Press Release: SeaChange Announces Departure of Company President Yvette Kanouf

Press Release: SeaChange Announces More Than $5 Million in Annualized Cost Reductions

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