Amazon to acquire LOVEFiLM International

January 20, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Amazon.com has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining shares in LOVEFiLM International.

LOVEFiLM is a leading European subscription entertainment service which combines the benefits of online DVD and games rental-by-post as well as streaming films and TV shows instantly over the internet to PCs, internet enabled TVs and Playstation 3. LOVEFiLM operates today in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Amazon already has a significant minority shareholding in LOVEFiLM and does not itself operate any similar business in Europe.

“LOVEFiLM has been innovating on behalf of movie rental customers across Europe for many years and with the advent of the LOVEFiLM player, they are further delighting customers by streaming digital movies for their immediate enjoyment,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon’s Vice President of European Retail. “LOVEFiLM and Amazon have enjoyed a strong working relationship since LOVEFiLM acquired Amazon Europe’s DVD rental business in 2008, and we look forward to a productive and innovative future.”

“The deal is a winner for the members who love LOVEFiLM because of its value, choice, convenience and innovation in home entertainment,” said Simon Calver, Chief Executive of LOVEFiLM International. “With Amazon’s unequivocal support we can significantly enhance our members’ experience across Europe.”

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011.

USA, Seattle, WA & UK, London

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Pilot magazine acquires Today’s Pilot

January 20, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Pilot magazine, the UK’s biggest-selling general aviation magazine, has acquired Today’s Pilot from Key Publishing.

Pilot magazine has been published for over 40 years and covers everything from gliders, microlights and helicopters to private, business and commercial fixed-wing flying. Today’s Pilot has been published for ten years and is particularly popular among student pilots.

Today’s Pilot Editor Dave Unwin will join the newly formed Pilot team, headed by Group Editor Nick Wall and Associate Editor Philip Whiteman. Unwin will become Pilot’s Flight Test Editor and also work on the Today’s Pilot section within Pilot. The first combined issue of Pilot incorporating Today’s Pilot will be the April issue, on sale March 2.

UK, Berkshire

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Mixbook acquires Scrapblog

January 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Personalized photo publishing business Mixbook has acquired Scrapblog, an online scrapbooking service. Terms of the deal are not disclosed.

“This acquisition solidifies Mixbook as the definitive source for online digital scrapbooking and personalized photo publishing,” said Andrew Laffoon, CEO of Mixbook. “Digital scrapbooking has surged in popularity over the past few years, with the scrapbook industry reaching billions of dollars in annual sales. Scrapblog’s users will now have access to an improved user experience via Mixbook’s thousands of free designs, state-of-the-art software and industry-leading customer service.”

“Scrapblog’s award-winning online scrapbooking service is a great match for Mixbook’s growing platform,” said Carlos Garcia, founder of Scrapblog. “I am excited that our users will be in trusted hands given Mixbook’s track-record of excellent service.”

USA, Silicon Valley, CA

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Adobe acquires Demdex

January 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Adobe Systems Incorporated has acquired privately held Demdex, a leading data management platform company.

“Our customers rank among the world’s largest advertisers and publishers and they have been asking us to help them optimize how they buy and sell online ads,” said Brad Rencher, vice president and general manager, Omniture Business Unit, Adobe. “With the addition of Demdex, the Adobe Online Marketing Suite will enable advertisers to be smarter with their advertising spend and publishers to leverage their audience data to generate more revenue. With audience optimization, Adobe is literally changing how online ads are bought and sold.”

“Adding our technology to the capabilities and vision of Adobe is a powerful combination for advertisers and publishers,” said Randy Nicolau, chief executive officer, Demdex. “We will continue to evolve our technology as part of the Adobe Online Marketing Suite to help customers stay ahead of the rapidly evolving online ad market.”

“As a leading technology media company, our audience data is incredibly valuable to our business and our advertising partners,” said Vivek Shah, chief executive officer, Ziff Davis. “With Demdex becoming part of the Adobe Online Marketing Suite, we expect Adobe solutions to help us find even more ways to create value for our advertising partners and customers.”

“Online media is poised to capture a greater share of advertising revenue based on audience size, engagement and capabilities, but the complexity and isolation of metrics have impeded its past success,” said Andrew Frank, research vice president, Gartner, Inc. “The incorporation of data and technology into marketing and advertising processes will fundamentally change the nature of the online media business.”

USA, San Jose, CA

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Pearson acquires TutorVista – Expands Pearson’s education business in India

January 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Pearson has agreed to increase its shareholding in Indian education business TutorVista to a controlling 76% stake for a consideration of $127m.  Pearson acquired a minority stake in TutorVista in June 2009 and this transaction takes Pearson’s total equity investment in the company to approximately $139m.

TutorVista was founded in 2005 by Krishnan Ganesh and is headquartered in Bangalore. India’s government currently invests $40bn each year or three per cent of GDP in education, while Indian consumers spend more than $40bn on private educational institutions and services. Both segments of the market are growing rapidly as a result of government commitment to increase the quality of and access to learning opportunities as a means of sustaining economic growth and reducing poverty.

TutorVista will be integrated into the Pearson education business in India. Pearson expects the acquisition to enhance Pearson’s adjusted earnings per share and return on invested capital in 2012, its first full year.

Marjorie Scardino, Pearson’s chief executive, said: “TutorVista is an innovative and effective education company that we have worked with and respected for several years. This acquisition – which we believe is the largest transaction in education in India by any company – signals our excitement about the vitality of India’s education sector.”

India, Bangalore

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Axel Springer and SeLoger.com agree on a revised offer at €38.05

January 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Following an agreement reached between the two groups, Axel Springer is to file a friendly revised offer for the shares of SeLoger.com at a price of €38.05 per share. This price represents a premium of nearly 12% compared to the price of the initial offer filed by Axel Springer on 28 September 2010.

The Revised Offer will include a minimum acceptance threshold, set at 50.01% (including Axel Springer’s current 12.4 % stake) of the share capital and voting rights of SeLoger.com, below which the Offer will be unsuccessful.

Ralph Buechi, President Axel Springer International at Axel Springer AG said: “The agreement paves the way for a transaction based on mutual consent between Axel Springer and the Board and management of SeLoger.com. Our intention has been friendly from the beginning, and we strongly believe that it is in the best interest of all parties involved that we move ahead on agreed terms. This is especially true for the management and employees of SeLoger.com, who will now be able to fully focus on the business and continue with their excellent work. Following a careful assessment, the recent share price developments of the peer group as well as SeLoger.com’s recent upward revisions of their financial targets led us to reconsider our offer price, which is now even more attractive for the shareholders of SeLoger.com.”

Germany, Berlin & France, Paris

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Archant has acquired 50% of group deals service Tickles

January 14, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Hold The Front Page is reporting that regional media business Archant has acquired 50% of Tickles. 

Tickles is a money saving website which uses the power of online group buying to bring members money saving deals from businesses in their local area.

Tickles was launched in May last year and operates Norfolk and Cambridge. They have 15,000 local members and plan to launch to the rest of the country within weeks.

Read the full story on HTFP

UK, Norwich

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RockYou acquires social game developer Playdemic

January 14, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Social entertainment company RockYou has acquired social game developer Playdemic. Based in Manchester, Playdemic will operate independently as Playdemic, a RockYou studio, and develop Facebook games for the mainstream audience. The acquisition brings extensive game development talent and an established Facebook game, Gourmet Ranch, to the company. Playdemic’s management team has held senior positions at major publishers including Ubisoft, THQ and Eidos. Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop and life president of Eidos, was a chief investor in Playdemic. Paul Gouge, CEO and Founder, will lead the studio as VP and General Manager. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
“At RockYou we place great value on the art of game-making,” said Jonathan Knight, RockYou’s SVP of Games, “and we’re elated to welcome the Playdemic team into our studio system. Playdemic will retain their culture and creative control, as they bring their significant game industry experience to making social games of today and tomorrow.”

“Being a part of RockYou gives us the opportunity to remain creatively independent, while leveraging RockYou’s vast network and expertise at scale to reach a wide audience with our games,” Paul Gouge said. “We see a massive opportunity to expand the depth and quality of social games, and have found an ideal partner in RockYou.”

RockYou will grow the user base for Gourmet Ranch, Playdemic’s first title that is currently playable on Facebook with half a million monthly active users. A combined farming and baking simulation, Gourmet Ranch invites players to grow organic crops, raise animals and prepare and serve meals to their friends. Players can use cash to build and decorate their own homestead in a mountain wilderness, trading and helping friends to increase the value of their properties.

USA, Redwood, CA & UK, Manchester

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Google acquires eBook Technologies

January 14, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Google has just acquired eBook Technologies, according to a notice on the eBook Technologies homepage. Here is the notice:

“eBook Technologies, Inc. is excited to announce that we have been acquired by Google. Working together with Google will further our commitment to providing a first-class reading experience on emerging tablets, e-readers and other portable devices.”

The business was founded by former business and technology managers from the Gemstar eBook Group. John Rivlin, CEO  was previously the Senior Vice President of Technology for Gemstar-TV Guide. Garth Conboy, President, was previously the General Manager and Vice President Software Engineering for the Gemstar eBook Group.

According to their websited (cached page), “eBook Technologies provides the leading end-to-end electronic book platform offering a full range of eBook products and services that are unrivaled in the marketplace. Unlike other players, the company has both deep industry knowledge and the end-to-end technology components to support the entire electronic book publishing value chain: content acquisition, conversion, wholesaling and retailing.”

Google have issued the following statement, “We are happy to welcome eBook Technologies’ team to Google. Together, we hope to deliver richer reading experiences on tablets, electronic readers and other portable devices.”

USA, La Jolla, CA

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Concur to acquire mobile trip management company TripIt

January 13, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Concur, a provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions, has agreed to acquire privately held TripIt, a mobile trip management company that helps people organize and share their travel plans no matter where they book.

Concur will pay approximately $27 million in cash and approximately $44 million in Concur stock at closing, plus a contingent cash amount settled upon 30 months from closing of up to approximately $38 million, subject to certain adjustments and escrow provisions set forth in the definitive agreement.  As part of the acquisition, Concur will exchange unvested TripIt options into Concur restricted stock units having an aggregate value of approximately $11 million at closing.  All components of consideration bring the total deal value to as much as $120 million.  However, there is no payment of the contingent cash amount if the value of the approximately $44 million of stock consideration issued exceeds approximately $82 million during the 30 month period following closing, subject to limitations.  In addition, individual holders of the approximately $44 million in stock consideration will lose their rights to payment of the contingent cash amount if they sell their holdings of such stock.  Though the payment of the contingent cash amount is uncertain, the maximum contingent cash amount to be paid, if any, at the end of the 30 month period is approximately $38 million.  The contingent cash amount will be recorded as a liability at fair value and marked-to-market each quarter through GAAP earnings. The acquisition of TripIt is expected to close in our second quarter of fiscal 2011 and to be dilutive to our pro forma operating margin for fiscal 2011.  Concur will provide more details in early February at their earnings conference call for the first quarter of fiscal 2011.

Concur was advised by Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Fenwick & West LLP, and TripIt was advised by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP on the transaction.

“The advancement of mobile solutions has changed the way business travelers buy, share, manage and expense their travel plans,” said Steve Singh, Concur’s chairman and chief executive officer. “There is a universal need to bring order to the chaos of travel and make life better for business travelers. That is true for both managed and unmanaged travel. Together, we solve challenges along the entire business travel process – from booking, through in-trip activities and sharing trip information, to post-trip expense management and reconciliation. We welcome the entire TripIt team to Concur and look forward to working together to deliver even more value to travelers, our customers and our partners.”

“This is great news for the millions of travelers who trust TripIt as a better way to manage travel and the hundreds of third party developers who are a part of the TripIt API ecosystem. Together with Concur, we can move even faster to realize our vision of making travel easier for even more people and companies around the world,” said Gregg Brockway, TripIt co-founder and president. “It’s also a testament to the passion, hard work, and commitment to excellence the entire TripIt team has demonstrated since day one to be the best at solving tough travel problems to help improve the lives of travelers everywhere.”

USA, Redmond, WA

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