Qualcomm’s interest in acquiring Intel signifies a major shift in the semiconductor industry. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon is reportedly leading the talks, aiming to capitalize on Intel’s recent restructuring. This potential acquisition could redefine the competitive landscape, although regulatory hurdles may pose significant challenges.
Dstny, a European supplier of cloud-based business communications solutions, has acquired Qunifi, a Microsoft Teams integration expert headquartered in the United Kingdom. For UCaaS providers, Qunifi’s Call2Teams product is the leading company in Teams integration. Qunifi’s service is used by end users in over 100 countries and organizations, with over 2 million Teams users relying on the service on a daily basis. Call2Teams is a cloud-based, SaaS middleware solution that connects any phone system, PBX or SIP trunk provider to Microsoft Teams. Importantly, this solution does not require that end-users move numbers, change carriers or replace their existing phone system, and Call2Teams effortlessly voice-enables Microsoft Teams with the extensive capabilities of existing telephony. Qunifi will join the Dstny Group as a service provider, and its workforce and management will be incorporated into the Dstny Group. For service provider customers, partners and the Dstny and Qunifi teams, joining the…
Cisco, a global giant and provider of IT, networking and cybersecurity solutions, has announced that it has received the final regulatory approval for a $4.5 billion agreement to purchase Acacia. The merger was reportedly approved by the Chinese government’s State Market Regulatory Administration (SAMR) on Tuesday. The consent from SAMR was the last hurdle to clear for Cisco to complete the deal. Cisco’s plans to acquire Acacia Communications were first announced in July of 2019. The deal was on a fully diluted basis to buy the company for $70 per share in cash for a total of $2.6 billion. Cisco had then received the regulatory go-ahead from the United States, Germany and Austria. Cisco has received the approval under certain conditions. According to SAMR, the deal could progress as long as Cisco and Acacia continue to fulfill existing contracts in China, as well as supply Chinese companies in…
Proximus Group, Belgium’s largest telecommunications company, has announced the acquisition of Mobile Vikings, a youth-oriented mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), from DPG Media for $158 million. In its report, Proximus stated that Mobile Vikings, which employs around 80 people, would act as a separate entity if the transaction were to be completed, as it is subject to approval by the Belgian Competition Authority. The transaction, which is expected to close next year, will give the current Belgian company around 335,000 additional customers. Proximus would also acquire Jim Mobile, which is part of the Mobile Vikings entity, as part of the transaction. According to the Belgian company, acquiring the Mobile Vikings was in fulfilment of its strategy up to 2022, which aims to open up opportunities in additional market segments and optimize its position in the residential sector. In purchasing Mobile Vikings, the company considered factors such as network…
The American multinational technology conglomerate, Cisco, has announced its intention to acquire IMImobile, a provider of cloud communications software and services that manages business-critical interoperability on a large scale. The deal is valued at nearly $730 million, assuming full dilution of the shares, net of cash and debt. The acquisition will be Cisco’s largest in the UK in about three years. The company will pay IMImobile shareholders £5.95 per share and the acquisition of the software vendor is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, following regulatory approval. The American company said the procurement will provide its consumers with an end-to-end customer interaction management solution and the ability to promote quicker and much improved communications and interactions through a selected customer channel. Cisco’s Webex Contact Center solution, along with IMImobile software and services, will offer a solution that leverages artificial intelligence throughout the customer’s…
Orange Romania, the largest provider of broadband Internet and mobile services in Romania, has entered into an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in the fixed operator Telekom Romania Communications (TKR) in order to strengthen its position in the country and increase its market share in the sector. The reason given for Orange paying over $268 million for TKR, is that it is aiming to become the popular choice among customers for combined services in the Romanian market. Orange will gain a controlling 54% stake from the Greek company OTE, most of which is owned by Deutsche Telekom. According to Orange, the deal gives TKR a value exceeding $590.5 million. The transaction is subject to normal regulatory scrutiny and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021. TKR, being the second largest fixed line provider in the country, achieved revenues of over $739 million in…
Twilio, a USA-based cloud communications platform, on Monday announced its largest acquisition to date. The company is buying the customer data startup Segment for $3.2 billion in Twilio Class A common stock, on a fully diluted and cash free, debt free basis. Segment is a customer data platform (CDP) that helps collect, clear and manage customer data. This platform allows organizations to move customer data from one application to another through an API, and use the platform to better control how the customer data travels through the systems. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020, and Segment will emerge as a part of Twilio. This acquisition could help Twilio expand beyond its core communications capabilities, and also could bring approximately $5 billion in revenue to both companies. This purchase is Twilio’s largest acquisition to date. Back in 2018, the company bought the email…
French telecommunications service provider Iliad S.A. has agreed to buy the Polish telecommunications company Play Communications S.A. for $2.6 billion as it expands across Europe. The deal will make Iliad the sixth largest mobile operator in Europe. In an announcement on Monday, the companies revealed that Iliad had offered $10.35 per share for Play and received binding commitments from two controlling shareholders for a 40% stake, which would give it the majority of seats on Play’s board of directors. Iliad also hopes that the deal will allow the company to enter the growing Polish telecommunications market and boost Play’s growth in the mobile sector. With the addition of Play, Iliad will have 41 million subscribers in France, Poland and Italy. However, the transaction still needs to be approved by the relevant regulatory authorities, and a notification of the proposed acquisition has to be submitted to the European Commission.…
VoIP provider Dialpad has announced the acquisition of a video conferencing company, Highfive. The purpose of the purchase is to add room-based video to Dialpad’s suite of services, including computer video conferencing. Neither of the two companies released financial details of the acquisition. Dialpad is the company that developed the popular video conferencing service UberConference. UberConference does have a built-in video conferencing feature, and this acquisition will add enhancements to their existing video capabilities. To date, UberConference is mostly known for its calling features. Dialpad not only offers its users conference call solutions and a VoIP platform, but also has a contact center solution. As stated by Dialpad, by using Highfive technology, any home office or office space can become a smart meeting room. Best of all, this service will work with existing hardware and SIP-enabled conferencing providers. Craig Walker, CEO of Dialpad, believes that this acquisition…
On Monday 24th September, Apple announced that it has finally completed the acquisition of Shazam, an application that helps users identify songs, TV shows, commercials and movies. The takeover of one of the highest rating music apps by the technology giant is said to be valued at 400 million US dollars. “Apple and Shazam have a long history together. Shazam was one of the first apps available when we launched the App Store and has become a favorite app for music fans everywhere. With a shared love of music and innovation, we are thrilled to bring our teams together to provide users even more great ways to discover, experience and enjoy music,” commented the vice president of Apple Music, Oliver Schusser. The application has already been downloaded more than 1 billion times, and remains one of the most popular places to interact with peers by discovering and sharing favorite songs,…
