Acquisitions

Latest News

Google in talks to buy Twitter
Rumours see $250 million plus acquisition 3 April 2009 9:59 GMT
Google is in talks to buy out Twitter, the micro-blogging service that is the social networking service du jour, reports suggest.

TechCrunch has it from three separate sources that the search giant is considering the purchase, pegged at over $250 million from...
Nokia invests in mobile payment company Obopay
Pay-by-text service gets global investor 25 March 2009 12:48 GMT
It's been announced that Nokia is investing in mobile payments service provider Obopay.

The amount Nokia is ploughing into the company is pegged at around $70 million for a "minority stake" in the Silicon Valley-based company.

Obopay currently operates...
Cisco to acquire Flip-maker Pure Digital Technologies
$600 million deal 19 March 2009 13:35 GMT
Cisco has announced it is buying Pure Digital Technologies, the US company that's the creator of the Flip Video brand of small, cheap camcorders.

"The acquisition of Pure Digital is key to Cisco's strategy to expand our momentum in the media-enabled home and...
Zavvi.co.uk relaunches with 10% off promo
Acquired by The Hut Group 3 March 2009 11:08 GMT
After going into administration last year, the Zavvi brand has been saved by The Hut Group and will relaunch online.

The Hut Group has officially announced the acquisition of Zavvi, and the resulting 100 jobs to be created over the next 12 months at the company's...
Intel ups stake in Imagination Technologies
After Apple acquired a stake 24 December 2008 10:46 GMT
After Apple bought a 3.6% stake in UK-based Imagination Technologies, a chip-making company that owns the Pure radio brand, Intel increased its own stake in the firm.

One day after Apple's purchase, Intel responded by buying 934,422 shares in Imagination, raising...
Sky's bid for Tiscali being "re-examined"
Take-over plans abandoned? 22 December 2008 14:51 GMT
Sky's current £450 million bid for Tiscali is under doubt.

Sky has apparently "stepped back to re-examine" its bid for the UK business of broadband provider Tiscali over doubts over the company's value.

Talks, that have been ongoing since November,...
Apple takes a stake in Imagination Technologies
Buys 3.6% of UK chip designer 18 December 2008 15:28 GMT
Apple has taken a stake in UK-based Imagination Technologies, a chip designer that also owns the Pure Digital DAB radio brand.

Although Apple was already a licensee of some of Imagination's technology, this move now sees Apple own a 3.6% chunk of the company....
Vodafone to bid for Wayfinder
"Exciting new location-aware products and services" promised 9 December 2008 12:25 GMT
Vodafone is to make a cash offer for a Swedish navigational software firm Wayfinder, that values the Swedish company at 239 million Swedish krona, around £19,800,000.

"This acquisition will enable Vodafone to develop its existing mobile navigation and products...
HTC buys design company
Announces buy out of firm that created the Touch Diamond 3 December 2008 9:16 GMT
HTC has announced the acquisition of San Francisco-based lifestyle design firm One & Company Design, Inc.

HTC says that One & Co will maintain its name and client base while it joins forces with HTC to "create an unparalleled force in global mobile design".
Argos buys Alba and Bush brandnames
Budget brands sell well in stores 27 November 2008 10:39 GMT
Argos has acquired the intellectual property rights to the Alba and Bush trademarks from consumer electronics distributor Alba, that will now change its name to Harvard.

The £15.25 million cash deal saved the brands, as Alba was set to end the supply of Bush...
Facebook in buyout talks for Twitter
Failed negotiations see $500 million offer refused 25 November 2008 9:05 GMT
Facebook has been busy in buyout talks with Twitter, it's being reported.

The Financial Times suggests that the social networking company is trying to buy Twitter, the micro-blogging service, for as much as $500 million.

"Sources" and "people...
Symantec completes MessageLabs acquisition
Merger goes through 17 November 2008 16:58 GMT
Symantec has announced it has completed its acquisition of MessageLabs.

The acquisition, announced back in October, will see MessageLabs' services, as a provider of online messaging services, with more than three billion email connections each day, expanding...
Panasonic confirms Sanyo takeover
Merger will see Japanese tech "behemoth" 10 November 2008 9:26 GMT
Following rumours that talks for a takeover deal were taking place, Panasonic has confirmed it plans to acquire its smaller tech rival Sanyo.

Although the deal has been confirmed, the financial agreement has not. Analysts suggest the takeover could cost Panasonic...
Panasonic to start talks to buy Sanyo
Agreement could be reached this year 3 November 2008 13:24 GMT
Panasonic has begun talks to take control of rival Sanyo, according to Nikkei business daily reports.

Panasonic plans to start negotiations with three major Sanyo shareholders, Goldman Sachs, Daiwa Securities SMBC, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp this month,...
Samsung drops SanDisk bid
SanDisk questions Samsung's "real motivations" 22 October 2008 8:59 GMT
Samsung has withdrawn its $6 billion takeover bid for SanDisk after Toshiba has invested $1 billion in a 30% share of the memory company.

Samsung said the reason for the withdrawal was SanDisk's declining value amid the industry downturn.

"After...
Toshiba buys $1 billion share in SanDisk
Gets 30% of manufacturing capacity 21 October 2008 11:07 GMT
SanDisk has announced it is to sell 30% of its manufacturing capacity to Toshiba in a $1 billion deal.

Toshiba and SanDisk currently operate three joint ventures and will remain equal partners for the remaining 70% of manufacturing capacity.

They...
RIM could face Microsoft take-over threat
Share plunge leaves it open to hostile bids 10 October 2008 14:09 GMT
Reuters reports that recent drop in the market value of BlackBerry maker RIM could leave the company open to a hostile take-over.

The plunge in RIM's shares, which were worth more than $148 on the Nasdaq market just 4 months ago, now are trading around the...
Carphone Warehouse makes another bid for Tiscali
Talks re-opened? 22 September 2008 12:13 GMT
It is being reported that the Carphone Warehouse has "tabled" an offer of $821.3 million (below 450 million pounds) for the British arm of Italian broadband operator Tiscali.

Tiscali put itself up for sale earlier this year, and Carphone Warehouse was reported...
Samsung makes hostile bid for SanDisk
And gets rejected 17 September 2008 12:25 GMT
Samsung has made a hostile take-over bid for SanDisk, after 4 months of negotiations to buy the company did not result in a deal.

Samsung chose to go public with the $5.9 billion bid that equated to a $26-a-share cash offer, working out as an 80% premium on...
Best Buy to acquire Napster
For $121 million 15 September 2008 15:07 GMT
US consumer electronics retailer Best Buy has revealed that it is to purchase digital music service Napster for $121 million in cash.

Best Buy is to pay $2.65 per share, which Reuters reports is almost double the amount of Friday's closing share price for the...
Samsung considering buying SanDisk
"We are looking at various opportunities" 5 September 2008 10:02 GMT
Samsung has said it is considering buying SanDisk, currently valued at $3.2 billion.

"We are looking at various opportunities regarding SanDisk, but nothing has been decided yet," a spokesman told Reuters.

Industry commentators are saying the buy...
Microsoft acquires ciao.com
Bid to boost online Euro market share 1 September 2008 12:02 GMT
Microsoft is to take over ciao.com in order to try and boost its struggling European market share in online search.

The software giant has agreed to buy Greenfield Online, parent company of the European price comparison website, for around the $486 million...
Blockbuster withdraws Circuit City offer
Not in the best interest of shareholders 2 July 2008 13:22 GMT
Blockbuster has announced that it has decided to withdraw its proposal to acquire Circuit City.

The movie rental company said it has been in talks with the struggling Circuit City for months regarding an acquisition offering $6 to $8 per share in cash for the...
EU approves Nokia's Navteq acquistion
Deal to close soon 2 July 2008 11:52 GMT
Nokia has announced that it has received unconditional approval from the European Commission for its planned acquisition of Navteq and expects to close the deal within the next 5 business days.

Although the European Commission said competition issues were raised...
Verizon Wireless purchase of Alltel official
$28 billion deal done 5 June 2008 15:34 GMT
Following the statement from Vodafone confirming there was a "potential acquisition" on the table, it seems the Verizon/Alltel deal has now been done.

Barrons is reporting that Verizon Wireless, a joint venture owned by Verizon and Vodafone, has reached an...