Facebook to Acquire WhatsApp for $19B
February 19, 2014 | Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire WhatsApp, a rapidly growing cross-platform mobile messaging company, for a total of approximately $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and approximately $12 billion worth of Facebook shares. The agreement also provides for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees that will vest over four years subsequent to closing. WhatsApp’s brand will be maintained; its headquarters will remain in Mountain View, CA; Jan Koum will join Facebook’s Board of Directors; and WhatsApp’s core messaging product and Facebook’s existing Messenger app will continue to operate as standalone applications.
Upon closing of the deal, all outstanding shares of WhatsApp capital stock and options to purchase WhatsApp capital stock will be cancelled in exchange for $4 billion in cash and 183,865,778 shares of Facebook Class A common stock (worth $12 billion based on the average closing price of the six trading days preceding February 18, 2014 of $65.2650 per share). In addition, upon closing, Facebook will grant 45,966,444 restricted stock units to WhatsApp employees (worth $3 billion based on the average closing price of the six trading days preceding February 18, 2014 of $65.2650 per share). As of February 17, 2014, Facebook had 2,551,654,996 Class A and B shares outstanding plus approximately 139 million dilutive securities primarily consisting of unvested RSUs. The Class A common stock and RSUs issued to WhatsApp shareholders and employees upon closing will represent 7.9% of Facebook shares based on current shares and RSUs outstanding. The current market cap of Facebook is $ 168,898,021,902. Facebook was advised by Allen & Company LLC and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; and WhatsApp was advised by Morgan Stanley and Fenwick & West, LLP.
Upon closing of the deal, all outstanding shares of WhatsApp capital stock and options to purchase WhatsApp capital stock will be cancelled in exchange for $4 billion in cash and 183,865,778 shares of Facebook Class A common stock (worth $12 billion based on the average closing price of the six trading days preceding February 18, 2014 of $65.2650 per share). In addition, upon closing, Facebook will grant 45,966,444 restricted stock units to WhatsApp employees (worth $3 billion based on the average closing price of the six trading days preceding February 18, 2014 of $65.2650 per share). As of February 17, 2014, Facebook had 2,551,654,996 Class A and B shares outstanding plus approximately 139 million dilutive securities primarily consisting of unvested RSUs. The Class A common stock and RSUs issued to WhatsApp shareholders and employees upon closing will represent 7.9% of Facebook shares based on current shares and RSUs outstanding. The current market cap of Facebook is $ 168,898,021,902. Facebook was advised by Allen & Company LLC and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; and WhatsApp was advised by Morgan Stanley and Fenwick & West, LLP.
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Facebook's Full Year 2013 Business Highlights
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WhatsApp Business Highlights
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Facebook deal hinges on user engagement
Chris Baggini, senior portfolio manager at Turner Titan Fund, and Youssef Squali, Cantor Fitzgerald's global head of Internet and media research, analyze the Facebook-WhatsApp deal. |
What WhatsApp means for Twitter?
BuzzFeed President and COO Jon Steinberg discusses how Facebook's purchase of the messaging service will affect Twitter. |
Facebook was incorporated in Delaware in July 2004 and completed its initial public offering in May 2012. As of December 31, 2013 , it had 6,337 employees. With more than 1.2 billion monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide, Facebook users are able to find and stay connected with their friends, family, and colleagues on Facebook. It had 757 million daily active users (DAUs) on average in December 2013 , an increase of 22% compared to December 2012 and had 556 million DAUs who accessed Facebook from a mobile device on average in December 2013 , an increase of 49% compared to December 2012. Facebook's revenue was$7.87 billion and the cash and marketable securities were $11.45 billion at the end of 2013.
The deal works out to be $42 per user, according to Brian Nowak, a senior analyst at Susquehanna International Group. In contrast, Twitter is valued at about$150 per user, Facebook at $140 and LinkedIn at $120, according to Robert Peck,an Internet analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows users to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. It is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia. Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends. In addition to basic messaging WhatsApp users can create groups, send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages. On Dec 31, 2013, WhatsApp had a new record day: 7 billion msgs inbound, 11 billion msgs outbound = 18 billion total messages processed in one day! WhatsApp was founded by two guys, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, who spent combined 20 years doing geeky stuff at Yahoo! Inc. before starting WhatsApp Inc. and funded by the VC firm, Sequoia Capital in January 2011.
Government of Canada raised $5.27B from the 700 MHz Wireless Spectrum Auction
February 19, 2014 | The 700 MHz spectrum is the highest-quality wireless frequency ever auctioned in Canada. This spectrum travels longer distances, requires fewer cell towers and penetrates through building walls, elevators, and even through to underground parking lots.
On January 14, Canada's 700 MHz spectrum auction began. Ten Canadian companies competed over the last five weeks. The auction had 108 rounds. In total, 97 licences have been awarded to 8 companies. The total revenue generated from this auction is $5.27 billion, the highest return ever for a wireless auction in Canada. By comparison, the AWS spectrum auction in 2008 raised $4.3 billion. The outcome of the auction supports more choice for Canadians by enabling a fourth wireless player in every region of the country. Here are the results by license areas:
On January 14, Canada's 700 MHz spectrum auction began. Ten Canadian companies competed over the last five weeks. The auction had 108 rounds. In total, 97 licences have been awarded to 8 companies. The total revenue generated from this auction is $5.27 billion, the highest return ever for a wireless auction in Canada. By comparison, the AWS spectrum auction in 2008 raised $4.3 billion. The outcome of the auction supports more choice for Canadians by enabling a fourth wireless player in every region of the country. Here are the results by license areas:
- In Newfoundland and Labrador, Bell, Bragg—which markets wireless services under the name Eastlink—Rogers and TELUS won licences.
- In Nova Scotia, Bell, Eastlink, Rogers and TELUS won licences.
- In Prince Edward Island, Bell, Eastlink, Rogers and TELUS won licences.
- In New Brunswick, Bell, Eastlink, Rogers and TELUS won licences.
- In Quebec, Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron won licences.
- In Ontario, you will note that in the south, Videotron won licences outside of its traditional market in Quebec. In addition, Bell, Rogers and TELUS won licences. Meanwhile, in northern Ontario, Bell, Eastlink, Rogers and TELUS won licences.
- In the Yukon and Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Bell, Feenix and TELUS won licences.
- In Manitoba, Bell, MTS, Rogers and TELUS won licences.
- In Saskatchewan, Bell, Rogers, SaskTel and TELUS won licences.
- In Alberta, Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron won licences.
- In British Columbia, Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron won licences.
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Total Population Covered
107,215 1,206,968 3,101,204 33,475,914 28,020,943 33,475,914 1,039,584 33,368,699 |
Final Price
$284,000 $8,772,072 $20,298,000 $1,142,953,484 $233,328,000 $565,705,517 $7,556,929 $3,291,738,000 |
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James Moore on wireless auction
Industry minister says Wednesday's, February 19, 2014 announcement will create more competition and benefit Canadian consumers. |
MPs on wireless spectrum auction
Mike Lake, Dan Harris and Judy Sgro discuss the results of the government's wireless spectrum auction, announced Wednesday, February 19, 2014 by Industry Minister James Moore. |
Another auction for wireless licenses for the 2,500 MHz band is set for April 2015 in which the government has put rules in place that caps on how much 2,500 MHz spectrum companies can own, a move Ottawa says will largely shut out Rogers and Bell because they already own large chunks of it.
The Industry Minister, James Moore, has also said legislation is coming on roaming rates that big telecom companies charge their small rivals for using their cellphone networks. An announcement is also in the works on forcing telecom companies to use the spectrum they haven't deployed, or face losing it.
Rakuten to acquire Viber Media for $900M
February 14, 2014 | Rakuten, Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 4755) resolved to acquire 53,115 shares of the global messaging and VoIP company, Viber Media for a total consideration of $900 million and will hold 100% of Viber’s outstanding voting stock and underwrite a new issue of shares.
Viber is a messaging and VoIP service operator and has approximately 280 million global registered users in more than 193 countries, and monthly active users over 100 million. Viber users can send free text messages, photo messages, video messages and share locations with other users as well as make free HD-quality calls to other Viber users on iPhone®, Android™, Windows Phone, Blackberry®, Windows®, Mac, Symbian, Nokia S40 and Bada devices over 3G/4G or WiFi connections. Viber is constantly innovating by introducing new platforms and adding fun new features including stickers and emoticons. Viber is developed by Viber Media, a privately held company founded in February 2010.
Rakuten Group is one of the world's leading Internet service companies, providing a variety of consumer- and business-focused services including e-commerce, eBooks & eReading, travel, banking, securities, credit card, e-money, portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. Rakuten Group is expanding globally and currently has operations throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. It was founded on Feb. 7, 1997 and the IPO was issued on April 19, 2000. The acquisition also opens massive new potential markets for Viber through Rakuten Group’s roughly 200 million global members.
Viber is a messaging and VoIP service operator and has approximately 280 million global registered users in more than 193 countries, and monthly active users over 100 million. Viber users can send free text messages, photo messages, video messages and share locations with other users as well as make free HD-quality calls to other Viber users on iPhone®, Android™, Windows Phone, Blackberry®, Windows®, Mac, Symbian, Nokia S40 and Bada devices over 3G/4G or WiFi connections. Viber is constantly innovating by introducing new platforms and adding fun new features including stickers and emoticons. Viber is developed by Viber Media, a privately held company founded in February 2010.
Rakuten Group is one of the world's leading Internet service companies, providing a variety of consumer- and business-focused services including e-commerce, eBooks & eReading, travel, banking, securities, credit card, e-money, portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. Rakuten Group is expanding globally and currently has operations throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. It was founded on Feb. 7, 1997 and the IPO was issued on April 19, 2000. The acquisition also opens massive new potential markets for Viber through Rakuten Group’s roughly 200 million global members.
Google to sell Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91B
January 29, 2014 | Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Lenovo plans to acquire the Motorola Mobility smartphone business. The purchase price is approximately US$2.91 billion including US$1.41 billion paid at close, comprised of US$660 million in cash and US$750 million in Lenovo ordinary shares. The remaining US$1.5 billion will be paid in the form of a three-year promissory note. According to Reuters, Lenovo was advised by Credit Suisse Group while Lazard Ltd advised Google on the transaction.
Prior to it, Lenovo bought the x86 low end server business of IBM for $2.3B on January 23, 2014 and Google bought UK start-up DeepMind for roughly $500M and Nest Labs for $3.2B on January 26, 2014 and January 13, 2014 respectively. All in all, Google and Lenovo have made announcements to invest almost $9B into acquisitions since the start of 2014.
Google paid $12.5B for Motorola in 2012 that gave it the ownership of 17,000 patents to protect devices running its Android mobile operating system in legal disputes with competitors. Under this deal, Google will keep the majority of Motorola's mobile patents, considered its prize assets. It did sell Motorola's cable television set-top box business to Arris Group Inc for $2.35B in 2012. In the end, this transaction will enable Google to get out of the mobile hardware business and work deeply with hardware partners such as Samsung and LG to boost the Android ecosystem.
The top five global smartphone vendors in 2013 by IDC’s rankings were Samsung with a 31.3 percent market share of shipments; Apple with 15.3 percent; Huawei Technologies Co. with 4.9 percent; LG Electronics Inc. with 4.8 percent; and Lenovo with 4.5 percent. The deal will create the world’s No. 3 smartphone vendor with about 6 percent of the global market, trailing only Samsung and Apple, according to Strategy Analytics.
More on the story at http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1767
Prior to it, Lenovo bought the x86 low end server business of IBM for $2.3B on January 23, 2014 and Google bought UK start-up DeepMind for roughly $500M and Nest Labs for $3.2B on January 26, 2014 and January 13, 2014 respectively. All in all, Google and Lenovo have made announcements to invest almost $9B into acquisitions since the start of 2014.
Google paid $12.5B for Motorola in 2012 that gave it the ownership of 17,000 patents to protect devices running its Android mobile operating system in legal disputes with competitors. Under this deal, Google will keep the majority of Motorola's mobile patents, considered its prize assets. It did sell Motorola's cable television set-top box business to Arris Group Inc for $2.35B in 2012. In the end, this transaction will enable Google to get out of the mobile hardware business and work deeply with hardware partners such as Samsung and LG to boost the Android ecosystem.
The top five global smartphone vendors in 2013 by IDC’s rankings were Samsung with a 31.3 percent market share of shipments; Apple with 15.3 percent; Huawei Technologies Co. with 4.9 percent; LG Electronics Inc. with 4.8 percent; and Lenovo with 4.5 percent. The deal will create the world’s No. 3 smartphone vendor with about 6 percent of the global market, trailing only Samsung and Apple, according to Strategy Analytics.
More on the story at http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1767
Google on the buying spree of Artifical Intelligence Firms
January 26, 2014 | Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) has bought UK start-up DeepMind for is paying roughly £300m ($500M) for DeepMind making the artificial intelligence firm its largest European acquisition so far. But Google declined to confirm the figure, while privately-held DeepMind was not immediately available for comment.
DeepMind is a cutting edge artificial intelligence company that combines the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms. Its first commercial applications are in simulations, e-commerce and games.
Google has been developing self-driving cars and robots, and it announced a partnership with NASA in launching the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab in May 2013 that is aimed at using supercomputers and complex mathematical formulas to help improve aeronautical science and space exploration. Earlier, Google also bought military robot-maker Boston Dynamics for an unspecified sum in December 2013 and home automation company, Nest Labs, for $3.2B on January 13, 2014.
NASA’s Ames Research Center will host the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab. which will house a quantum computer from D-Wave Systems, and the USRA (Universities Space Research Association). The goal is to study how quantum computing might advance machine learning.
Boston Dynamics is an engineering company that specializes in building dynamic robots and software for human simulation using sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms.
More on the story at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f92123b2-8702-11e3-aa31-00144feab7de.html
DeepMind is a cutting edge artificial intelligence company that combines the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms. Its first commercial applications are in simulations, e-commerce and games.
Google has been developing self-driving cars and robots, and it announced a partnership with NASA in launching the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab in May 2013 that is aimed at using supercomputers and complex mathematical formulas to help improve aeronautical science and space exploration. Earlier, Google also bought military robot-maker Boston Dynamics for an unspecified sum in December 2013 and home automation company, Nest Labs, for $3.2B on January 13, 2014.
NASA’s Ames Research Center will host the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab. which will house a quantum computer from D-Wave Systems, and the USRA (Universities Space Research Association). The goal is to study how quantum computing might advance machine learning.
Boston Dynamics is an engineering company that specializes in building dynamic robots and software for human simulation using sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms.
More on the story at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f92123b2-8702-11e3-aa31-00144feab7de.html
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IBM's divestiture of its x86 Server Business to Lenovo Group for over $2B
January 23, 2014 | Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have entered into a definitive agreement in which Lenovo plans to acquire IBM’s x86 server business. This includes System x, BladeCenter and Flex System blade servers and switches, x86-based Flex integrated systems, NeXtScale and iDataPlex servers and associated software, blade networking and maintenance operations. The purchase price is approximately US$2.3 billion, approximately two billion of which will be paid in cash and the balance in Lenovo stock. Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs Group advised Lenovo Group.
IBM will retain its System z mainframes, Power Systems, Storage Systems, Power-based Flex servers, and PureApplication and PureData appliances.
Lenovo and IBM will also enter into a strategic relationship which will include a global OEM and reseller agreement for sales of IBM’s industry-leading entry and midrange Storwize disk storage systems, tape storage systems, General Parallel File System software, SmartCloud Entry offering, and elements of IBM’s system software portfolio, including Systems Director and Platform Computing solutions. Approximately 7,500 IBM employees around the world, including those based at major locations such as Raleigh, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Taipei, are expected to be offered employment by Lenovo.
This agreement follows recent announcements by IBM that it will invest more than $1 billion in the new IBM Watson Group, and $1.2 billion to expand its global cloud computing footprint to 40 data centers worldwide in 15 countries across five continents.
More on the story at http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1755
IBM will retain its System z mainframes, Power Systems, Storage Systems, Power-based Flex servers, and PureApplication and PureData appliances.
Lenovo and IBM will also enter into a strategic relationship which will include a global OEM and reseller agreement for sales of IBM’s industry-leading entry and midrange Storwize disk storage systems, tape storage systems, General Parallel File System software, SmartCloud Entry offering, and elements of IBM’s system software portfolio, including Systems Director and Platform Computing solutions. Approximately 7,500 IBM employees around the world, including those based at major locations such as Raleigh, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Taipei, are expected to be offered employment by Lenovo.
This agreement follows recent announcements by IBM that it will invest more than $1 billion in the new IBM Watson Group, and $1.2 billion to expand its global cloud computing footprint to 40 data centers worldwide in 15 countries across five continents.
More on the story at http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1755
Global Leader in Virtualization and Cloud Infrastructure, VMware, invests $1.54B into Mobile Computing
January 22, 2014 | VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, and AirWatch today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which VMware will acquire AirWatch, the leading provider of enterprise mobile management and security solutions. VMware will acquire AirWatch for approximately $1.175B in cash and approximately $365M of installment payments and assumed unvested equity.
Privately held and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, AirWatch is the leading provider of enterprise solutions for Mobile Device Management, Mobile Application Management and Mobile Content Management. Its rivals include Cytrix, MobileIron and FrontRange and it has more than 10,000 customers including United Airline, Renault, and nine of top 10 U.S. retailers....The acquisition will be funded by VMware through a combination of balance sheet cash and proceeds from approximately $1B of additional debt to be provided by EMC...VMWare's revenues for the fourth quarter of 2013 are expected to be $1.48 billion. With 2012 revenues of $4.61 billion, VMware, headquartered in Silicon Valley, has more than 500,000 customers and 55,000 partners. AirWatch is VMware's second billion-dollar deal in one-and-a-half years after the company bought Nicira, a provider of network virtualization software, in 2012. AirWatch is expected to add about $75 million revenue to VMware in 2014 following closure of the deal in late first quarter. VMware expects the acquisition to add to adjusted profit in late 2015.
ABI Research says total expenditure for mobile security management applications and services would double to more than $1 billion by 2015.
More on the story at http://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vmw-newsfeed/VMware-to-Acquire-AirWatch/1801180#!
Privately held and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, AirWatch is the leading provider of enterprise solutions for Mobile Device Management, Mobile Application Management and Mobile Content Management. Its rivals include Cytrix, MobileIron and FrontRange and it has more than 10,000 customers including United Airline, Renault, and nine of top 10 U.S. retailers....The acquisition will be funded by VMware through a combination of balance sheet cash and proceeds from approximately $1B of additional debt to be provided by EMC...VMWare's revenues for the fourth quarter of 2013 are expected to be $1.48 billion. With 2012 revenues of $4.61 billion, VMware, headquartered in Silicon Valley, has more than 500,000 customers and 55,000 partners. AirWatch is VMware's second billion-dollar deal in one-and-a-half years after the company bought Nicira, a provider of network virtualization software, in 2012. AirWatch is expected to add about $75 million revenue to VMware in 2014 following closure of the deal in late first quarter. VMware expects the acquisition to add to adjusted profit in late 2015.
ABI Research says total expenditure for mobile security management applications and services would double to more than $1 billion by 2015.
More on the story at http://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vmw-newsfeed/VMware-to-Acquire-AirWatch/1801180#!
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RBC shaping the future of Mobile Commerce in Canada
January 22, 2014 | The RBC Wallet enables RBC Mobile clients to purchase goods and services with their RBC Interac Debit or Visa credit cards using their Bell Mobility Android smartphone. RBC is the first Canadian financial institution to provide clients with the choice of using debit or credit for their mobile payments.
The RBC Wallet powered by RBC Secure Cloud is currently available to RBC and Bell clients who have a Samsung Galaxy S III or Samsung Galaxy S4, some of the most widely adopted Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled smartphones, operating on the Bell network, and have an upgraded NFC-enabled SIM card. Using NFC technology, the RBC Wallet enables consumers to pay for small purchases using their phones at merchant locations that accept contactless payments, similar to Interac Flash or Visa PayWave. The RBC Wallet will be adding MasterCard and be available on more devices in the spring of 2014.
More on the story at http://www.rbc.com/newsroom/2014/01-22-rbc-wallet.html
The RBC Wallet powered by RBC Secure Cloud is currently available to RBC and Bell clients who have a Samsung Galaxy S III or Samsung Galaxy S4, some of the most widely adopted Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled smartphones, operating on the Bell network, and have an upgraded NFC-enabled SIM card. Using NFC technology, the RBC Wallet enables consumers to pay for small purchases using their phones at merchant locations that accept contactless payments, similar to Interac Flash or Visa PayWave. The RBC Wallet will be adding MasterCard and be available on more devices in the spring of 2014.
More on the story at http://www.rbc.com/newsroom/2014/01-22-rbc-wallet.html
The US FCC's Auction of Wireless Airwaves (H block, AWS-3, 600 MHz) for over $46B
January 22, 2014 | The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold its first major auction of wireless airwaves today. The four national wireless carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile US) and satellite-TV operator Dish Network are estimated to spend at least $46B on spectrum in a series of auctions over the next 24 months, according to telecom analysts at New Street Research...This week, the FCC seeks to get at least $1.6B when it auctions off a slice of spectrum called the H block, which includes two high-frequency bands.
More on the story at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304027204579335181451959904
More on the story at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304027204579335181451959904
GE's new venture into the Industrial Internet - Acquisition of API Healthcare
January 21, 2014 | GE (NYSE: GE) announced today it has agreed to acquire API Healthcare, a healthcare workforce management software and analytics solutions provider, headquartered in Hartford, WI. The acquisition aligns with GE’s Industrial Internet strategy to invest in strong, innovative businesses that enhance GE’s portfolio in software, data and analytics. The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval, is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2014. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 1982, API Healthcare was acquired by private equity firm, Francisco Partners, in 2008. The Company was advised by Spurrier Capital Partners, a technology-focused M&A advisory firm in New York.
API Healthcare’s solutions – staffing and scheduling, patient classification, human resources, talent management, payroll, time and attendance, business analytics, and staffing agency offerings – are used by more than 1,600 hospitals and staffing agencies in the U.S. API Healthcare’s complementary offerings will expand GE Healthcare’s Hospital Operations Management (HOM) portfolio, which gives hospitals real-time access to operational data. With this acquisition, GE Healthcare will be able to address a significant portion of hospital operations costs – assets, patients and labor – with a mix of software, real-time data, powerful analytics and professional services. Once the transaction closes, the API Healthcare solutions will be part of the Predicitivity™ Industrial Internet portfolio alongside GE Healthcare’s existing HOM offerings.
More on the story at http://www.apihealthcare.com/corporate/press-releases/ge-to-acquire-api-healthcare
API Healthcare’s solutions – staffing and scheduling, patient classification, human resources, talent management, payroll, time and attendance, business analytics, and staffing agency offerings – are used by more than 1,600 hospitals and staffing agencies in the U.S. API Healthcare’s complementary offerings will expand GE Healthcare’s Hospital Operations Management (HOM) portfolio, which gives hospitals real-time access to operational data. With this acquisition, GE Healthcare will be able to address a significant portion of hospital operations costs – assets, patients and labor – with a mix of software, real-time data, powerful analytics and professional services. Once the transaction closes, the API Healthcare solutions will be part of the Predicitivity™ Industrial Internet portfolio alongside GE Healthcare’s existing HOM offerings.
More on the story at http://www.apihealthcare.com/corporate/press-releases/ge-to-acquire-api-healthcare
BlackBerry's divestiture of its Canadian Corporate Real Estate
January 21, 2014 | BlackBerry (TMX: BB, NASDAQ: BBRY) is divesting a portion of its corporate real estate portfolio through a combination of sale-leaseback and vacant asset sales of office, industrial and development land assets located in Cambridge, Waterloo, Mississauga and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Portfolio comprises 2,047,773 SF of office and 999,692 SF of warehouse/office inventory, offering an investor(s) the following institutional-quality assets 1) Northfield Campus, Waterloo, 2) University Campus, Waterloo, 3) Cambridge Campus, Cambridge, 4) Mississauga Airport Corporate Centre (ACC) Campus, Mississauga, and 5) Ottawa Campus, Ottawa.
BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion Limited, was founded in 1984 with it HQs in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Today, it has international offices in United States, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM revolutionized the mobile industry when it introduced BlackBerry Device in 1999.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm.
More on the story at http://press.blackberry.com/press/2014/blackberry-announces-plans-to-divest-canadian-real-estate-holdin.html
BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion Limited, was founded in 1984 with it HQs in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Today, it has international offices in United States, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM revolutionized the mobile industry when it introduced BlackBerry Device in 1999.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm.
More on the story at http://press.blackberry.com/press/2014/blackberry-announces-plans-to-divest-canadian-real-estate-holdin.html
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Government of Canada's 700 MHz Wireless Spectrum Auction
January 14, 2014 | Originally 15 organizations submitted deposits to bid in the auction, but over the course of two months five dropped out. The ten qualified bidders are 1) Bell Mobility Inc., 2) Bragg Communications Inc. (Eastlink Wireless), 3) Feenix Wireless Inc., 4) MTS Inc., 5) Novus Wireless Inc. (Novus), 6) Rogers Communications, 7) Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel), 8) TBayTel, 9) TELUS Communications, and 10) Vidéotron.
The total amount of the proposed opening bids for all spectrum blocks is $897,324,000, with the lowest opening bid starting at $142,000 in Yukon, NWT and Nunavut. Estimation are that this auction will raise between $3 and $4 billion for the government.
More on the story at http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=809169 and http://mobilesyrup.com/2014/01/14/canadas-700-mhz-spectrum-auction-begins-today/
The total amount of the proposed opening bids for all spectrum blocks is $897,324,000, with the lowest opening bid starting at $142,000 in Yukon, NWT and Nunavut. Estimation are that this auction will raise between $3 and $4 billion for the government.
More on the story at http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=809169 and http://mobilesyrup.com/2014/01/14/canadas-700-mhz-spectrum-auction-begins-today/
IBM's investment of $1B into its new business unit, the Watson Group, to capitalize on Big Data
January 9, 2014 | IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it will establish the IBM Watson Group, a new business unit dedicated to the development and commercialization of cloud-delivered cognitive innovations. The move signifies a strategic shift by IBM to accelerate into the marketplace a new class of software, services and apps that think, improve by learning, and discover answers and insights to complex questions from massive amounts of Big Data.
IBM will invest more than $1 billion into the Watson Group, focusing on development and research and bringing cloud-delivered cognitive applications and services to market. This will include $100 million available for venture investments to support IBM’s recently launched ecosystem of start-ups and businesses that are building a new class of cognitive apps powered by Watson, in the IBM Watson Developers Cloud.
More on the story at http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/42867.wss
IBM will invest more than $1 billion into the Watson Group, focusing on development and research and bringing cloud-delivered cognitive applications and services to market. This will include $100 million available for venture investments to support IBM’s recently launched ecosystem of start-ups and businesses that are building a new class of cognitive apps powered by Watson, in the IBM Watson Developers Cloud.
More on the story at http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/42867.wss
GE to expand in Life Sciences Technologies with the acquisition of strategic assets from Thermo Fisher Scientific for over $1B
January 6, 2014 | GE (NYSE: GE) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO) announced today that they have entered into an agreement for GE Healthcare to acquire Thermo Fisher’s HyClone™ cell culture media and sera, and gene modulation and magnetic beads businesses for approximately $1.06 billion. The acquisition will allow GE to expand its offering of technologies for the discovery and manufacturing of innovative new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics in its growing Life Sciences business. The three acquired businesses generated combined annual revenues of approximately $250 million in 2013.
The acquisition is consistent with GE’s strategy to invest in high-technology, innovative businesses that deliver strong top-line growth and expanded margins. GE Healthcare’s leadership in medical diagnostic technology includes its $4B Life Sciences business, which delivers innovative products and services for the fast-growing diagnostics, research and bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors.
More on the story at http://www.genewscenter.com/Press-Releases/GE-to-expand-in-life-sciences-with-acquisition-of-strategic-assets-from-Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-449f.aspx
The acquisition is consistent with GE’s strategy to invest in high-technology, innovative businesses that deliver strong top-line growth and expanded margins. GE Healthcare’s leadership in medical diagnostic technology includes its $4B Life Sciences business, which delivers innovative products and services for the fast-growing diagnostics, research and bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors.
More on the story at http://www.genewscenter.com/Press-Releases/GE-to-expand-in-life-sciences-with-acquisition-of-strategic-assets-from-Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-449f.aspx