The SEC form is now available for the Skype IPO.
Some of the financials
6 months to June 30th 2010
Faversham House, the Croydon-based media company, has acquired the Utility Week portfolio from Reed Business Information (RBI).
Utility Week provides news, analysis and comment on Britain’s major electricity, gas and water utilities. The acquisition includes the Utility Week website www.utilityweek.com, the Utility Week Achievement Awards (6 December 2010) and the Utility Week Debt Conference (2 November 2010).
Faversham House Chief Executive Amanda Barnes, said: “We were delighted when RBI responded positively to our approach to acquire the Utility Week portfolio. We are extremely pleased to welcome the Utility Week team into our already successful and extensive portfolio of water, environment and sustainability titles. This acquisition underlines our commitment to grow our position as the premier provider of information into this market. There is considerable synergy with our Sustainabilitylive! exhibitions and with our world-leading edie.net environmental information portal. We look forward to working with the talented Utility Week team to maximise the opportunities this gives us.”
Jane Burgess, Managing Director of RBI said: “I’d like to thank the Utility Week team for their contribution to RBI – they are a talented team with deep experience in their sector and we wish them every success at Faversham House”
The seven-strong team joined Faversham House on Monday 26 July 2010.
According to the WSJ and Vedomosti, Digital Sky Technologies‘ Russian investment holding, DST Russia, which owns online portal Mail.ru, ICQ, majority of social network Odnoklassniki.ru is expected to do IPO of between 10% and 25% of its shares in London in spring 2011.
DST was founded in 2005 and is one of the largest internet companies in the Russian-speaking and Eastern European markets and one of the leading investment groups globally to exclusively focus on internet related companies. DST, together with its affiliate DST Global, also holds stakes in internet world leaders such as Facebook, Zynga and Groupon. DST is a privately held company backed by leading international financial institutions and companies.
According to Quintura (refering to Russian language paper Vedomosti). DST Russia could be valued at $6 billion, Vedomosti said, thus implying value of stake to be sold at IPO at between $600 million and $1,500 million.
Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan are to manage the IPO.
Location: Russia, Moscow
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Naspers’s (the broad based international media group) subsidiary Myriad International Holdings B.V. (“MIH”) is to take a 28,7% stake in Digital Sky Technologies Limited (“DST”), the internet company that has stakes in stakes in internet world leaders such as Facebook, Zynga and Groupon. The transaction will be effected by Naspers contributing its 39,3% stake in Mail.ru into DST and investing US$388m in cash. Concurrently, Mail.ru management and other minorities will also convert their shares into DST.
Upon the close of this transaction, DST will own over 99,9% of Mail.ru. Mail.ru is the leading communication and entertainment platform in the Russian-speaking internet world, with over 50m registered email accounts, leading market share in MMO games and one of the leading social networks in Russia.
Naspers and DST have worked closely together over the past three years as co-owners of Mail.ru and today’s transaction will enable them to further strengthen that relationship.
Chief Executive Officer of DST, Yuri Milner, said, “Naspers’s strategic insight has already proven to be valuable in our partnership and we welcome the expertise they will bring to DST. We are delighted to announce this transaction and look forward to creating further value through our relationship.”
Antonie Roux, head of Naspers’s internet operations, commented: “We have known DST and its management for years and we share a similar view and approach. We are excited to strengthen our partnership. This opportunity further expands our exposure to emerging markets and the fast-growing internet sector.”
Location: South Africa, Johannesburg & Russia, Moscow
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7 Star Entertainment, Inc., an independent online entertainment dating company has signed an Investment Agreement with Kodiak Capital Group, LLC of New York for a $10 million equity facility, the funding of which will be contingent upon the Company achieving certain conditions.
Upon successful completion of the required conditions and subsequent receipt of the funds, the Company plans to use the funding for the online marketing and growth of its flagship product AdultMatchClub.com and the build-out of its existing online portfolio. The Company’s business plan projects growth through national and international marketing, the utilization of time-tested marketing strategies and through the acquisition of similar online properties.
Joseph Daleo Jr., 7 Star’s President and CEO commented, “The facility offered to us by Kodiak is sure to put us on the frontline of the ‘online dating community’ by developing our database and technology, creating an aggressive marketing budget for consumer awareness and enhancing our brand recognition. We plan to continuously enhance our sites and servers by utilizing our latest proprietary technology; ultimately improving the end user’s online experience while simultaneously increasing shareholder value.”
Location: USA, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) has completed its acquisition of VeriSign‘s (NASDAQ: VRSN) identity and authentication business, which includes the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Code Signing Certificate Services, the Managed Public Key Infrastructure (MPKI) Services, the VeriSign Trust Seal, the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service and the VIP Fraud Detection Service (FDS). The acquisition agreement between Symantec and VeriSign also included a majority stake in VeriSign Japan and was announced on May 19, 2010.
“Enterprises and consumers alike expect simple and secure access to information from any device, protection from identity fraud, and online experiences that are user-friendly and hassle-free,” said Enrique Salem, president and CEO, Symantec. “The combination of Symantec’s leading security solutions with VeriSign’s security products, services and recognition as the most trusted brand online, uniquely positions Symantec to drive the adoption of identity security and restore trust online unlike any other company.”
“Symantec has acquired a strong technology suite and team that we hope to continue to leverage,” said Andrew Salesky, SVP Platform Services at Charles Schwab. “We benefit by having a single primary security partner for our enterprise and client facing applications, and look forward to further enhancing these capabilities with Symantec.”
Signifying Trust Online
The VeriSign check mark is the most recognized symbol of trust online with more than 250 million impressions every day on more than 90,000 websites in 160 countries. Symantec has begun the process to transition to a new corporate identity incorporating the VeriSign check mark. This will include a new corporate logo, as well as a new version of the Norton consumer logo, to convey that it’s safe to communicate, transact commerce and exchange information online. The external global roll-out will begin in the December quarter.
Creating Mutually Trusted Interactions Online
With the completion of the acquisition, Symantec’s current portfolio, along with assets from VeriSign, provides the depth and breadth of technologies to make identity-based security of information part of a comprehensive security solution. Integration efforts are expected to:
Provide VeriSign’s SSL Certificate Services with Symantec Critical System Protection through the sales channel. By quickly enabling the sales force to begin cross-selling these offerings, Symantec will help organizations ensure and verify a higher level of security on their web servers, providing users with the trust and confidence to do business online.
Align the VeriSign SSL and client PKI authentications services with Symantec Protection Center (SPC) to provide a unified enterprise security management solution.
Strengthen user access security by expanding Symantec’s Data Loss Prevention solutions and Data Insight technology with VeriSign’s identity security services to ensure that only authorized users have access to appropriate information.
Offer users strong authentication and give organizations the ability to leverage the highly-recognized VeriSign trust mark in online searches by providing VeriSign VIP authentication service along with Norton products and Symantec desktop clients.
“Our customers’ intellectual property, data and business processes are critical to their success. In today’s connected environment, protecting these valuable information assets is more important — and more challenging — than ever before,” said Mark Melvin, chief technology officer, ePlus Technology, Inc. “With the combined security products from Symantec and VeriSign, ePlus will be able to offer our customers a complete identity security solution that provides them with simple and secure access to their important business information from anywhere, while ensuring that corporate data is not at risk.”
“As identity pervades many corporate and consumer security functions, there is a strong synergy between Symantec and VeriSign,” said Christian Christiansen, vice president of security products and services, IDC. “As devices, data, web services, and applications proliferate, strong authentication and identity management become crucial to reducing risk of unauthorized information exposure, protecting privacy, and increasing trust. The incorporation of VeriSign’s market-leading SSL, PKI and VIP products into Symantec’s broad portfolio of information security solutions offers the promise of more secure interactions and transactions. By baking authentication into its security products, Symantec can extend VeriSign’s “trusted web” to an even greater effect.”
VeriSign’s identity and authentication business will become part of the Enterprise Security Group led by Francis deSouza.
Location: USA, Mountain View, CA
UBM Aviation has today announced that it has acquired The Route Development Group Limited (RDG). The combination of RDG’s highly respected events and consultancy business with our OAG data and schedules business will bring great benefits to our customers in the airline and airport communities.
RDG comprises four main business areas:
Routes – The World Route Development Forum – is widely considered the industry-leading, global networking event for providing airlines, airports, suppliers and industry observers the opportunity to meet to develop new aviation routes worldwide, as well as manage existing networks.
The regional Routes series of events: Routes Europe, Routes Americas, Routes Asia, Routes Africa and Routes CIS. All events serve the needs of route developers and network planners in their specific local regions.
Airport Strategy & Marketing Ltd. (ASM), a highly-regarded aviation route consulting services business serving the global airport customer community.
Routesonline.com, an online portal bringing together airports and airlines to share information and intelligence such as facilities, traffic statistics, air services, demographics and supporting resources, as well as through Route Exchange a platform for airports to bid directly for airline capacity.
This transaction will enable UBM Aviation to provide its customers with a broader and deeper set of product offerings across data, analytics, events and consultancy to help our airline and airport customers manage their schedules operations and route networks to optimum efficiency and effectiveness.
“We are delighted to have acquired this fantastic business, which includes a genuinely unique mix of assets that will enhance how we serve the airline and airport markets. I am also pleased to welcome their solid base of talented aviation industry experts. Their skills will greatly complement the UBM Aviation team,” said Peter von Moltke, Chief Executive Officer, UBM Aviation. “RDG’s collective assets, merged with our own, will strengthen our position as the leading global provider of aviation intelligence, and events, and create a solid foundation for our global aviation consulting business, all contributing to the company’s future growth. We look forward to growing ASM and the Routes events further by utilizing the global UBM resources.”
“I am extremely satisfied to have sold RDG to an industry leader such as UBM Aviation. Over the past 17 years, ASM and Routes have changed the way the world’s airlines and airports do business and pioneered a whole new approach to air service development. With the help of dedicated teams, we developed ASM into the world’s leading aviation route development consultancy and the award-winning Routes into the industry’s largest networking forum. I am proud to say that RDG has become the leading global solutions provider in the route development industry. Looking ahead, there is a lot of scope for both ASM and Routes to further flourish, and I am certain that UBM Aviation with its strong market position is the ideal company to lead RDG into a continuously successful future,” said Mike Howarth, Group CEO, RDG.
Location: UK, London
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Dice Holdings, a leading provider of specialised career websites for professional communities, today announced it has completed the purchase of Rigzone, a U.S. market leader in the oil and gas industry delivering content, data, advertising and career services.
“The acquisition of Rigzone extends our capabilities and strengthens our position in the highly attractive energy vertical,” said Scot Melland, Chairman, President & CEO of Dice Holdings, Inc. “The Rigzone and WorldwideWorker services complement each other with Rigzone’s traditional strength in North America and WorldwideWorker’s focus on the Middle East and emerging markets. And, both teams share a commitment to quality and a desire to serve the energy industry on a global basis.”
Known as the online gateway to the oil and gas industry, Rigzone is the world’s most-used source for upstream oil and gas news and data, including in-depth information on the exploration, drilling and production markets. Rigzone has built a valuable and largely-passive community with more than 500,000 unique visitors each month and more than 270,000 resumes in their database covering skills ranging from production operators to petroleum engineers.
“The Dice team has the strongest vision for the future direction of online recruiting, while recognizing the value of our unique and valuable content,” said David Kent, President of Rigzone. “We are truly excited about working with our colleagues from Des Moines to Dubai connecting top talent with organizations that are tackling the energy challenge.”
The purchase price consists of initial consideration of $39 million in cash. Additional consideration to a maximum of $16 million in cash is payable upon the achievement of certain operating and financial goals through June 30, 2011.
The Jordan, Edmiston Group acted as Rigzone’s financial advisor.
Location: USA, New York, NY
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United Business Media has acquired the Shanghai International Children-Baby-Maternity Products Expo (CBME) and related businesses on behalf of its UBM Asia division to enter China’s fast-growing baby products market.
Launched in 2001, this annual exhibition is aimed at international and domestic manufacturers and distributors of child and baby products for the Chinese market. This year’s show took place from 22-24 July, hosting over 850 exhibitors in 69,000 square metres of gross exhibition space. Attendees included retailers, agents, distributors, purchasing agents, investors and media agencies.
In addition to the main business-to-business tradeshow, UBM is also acquiring two smaller complementary business-to-consumer child and baby products fairs in Guangzhou and Beijing.
The business employs 59 staff at its Hangzhou office and is expected to generate approximately US$6.5m in revenue this year. The Chinese children and baby market represents an attractive sector for UBM, with strong growth potential underpinned by current economic and demographic trends.
Jime Essink, President & CEO of UBM Asia, said: “We are entering a dynamic new sector through the acquisition of this established and profitable platform. By applying our knowledge of best practice in events, online and print, we look forward to developing these businesses further for the benefit of our customers, as well as driving growth as this exciting market continues to expand. We are also excited about working closely with the experienced and professional team at CBME.”
Location: Hong Kong
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