Technology companies on M&A binge?

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According to a report compiled by Regent Associates, among technology companies acquisition activity in the first half of this year reached levels not seen since the height of the dot.com boom. See tables below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNOUNCED ACQUISITIONS IN THE TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA INDUSTRIES TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING EUROPEAN COMPANIES ANALYSIS OF SELLERS
Industry Sector of Acquired Company
2002
2003
Q1 02
Q2 02
Q3 02
Q4 02
Q1 03
Q2 03
Q3 03
Q4 03
Q1 04
Q2 04
%
Trend
IT Services
478
439
96
183
102
97
89
91
99
160
143
191
32%
+34%
Software
261
223
82
67
61
51
56
52
65
50
60
63
10%
+5%
IT Distribution
78
89
16
19
22
21
23
32
12
22
33
27
4%
-18%
Computer Hardware
79
64
21
20
16
22
12
14
23
15
35
25
4%
-29%
Comms Services
213
205
50
58
46
59
46
57
58
44
69
75
12%
+9%
Comms Equipment
58
35
16
18
13
11
10
7
11
7
10
17
3%
+70%
Content & Media
233
220
56
67
49
61
46
47
52
75
90
139
23%
+54%
Applied Technology
132
79
33
30
42
27
20
15
19
25
42
43
7%
+2%
Other Services
54
66
10
11
4
29
15
21
14
16
29
25
4%
-14%
Tech Financing
9
3
2
4
2
1
1
1
0
1
2
0
0%
-100%
TOTAL
1595
1423
382
477
357
379
318
337
353
415
513
605
100%
+18%
Type of Acquired Company
2002
2003
Q1 02
Q2 02
Q3 02
Q4 02
Q1 03
Q2 03
Q3 03
Q4 03
Q1 04
Q2 04
%
Trend
Private Companies
829
649
198
252
180
199
147
154
157
191
306
362
60%
+18%
Group Divisions/Subsidiaries
698
704
174
200
165
159
153
171
179
201
191
227
38%
+19%
Quoted – London Stock Exchange
21
17
3
7
4
7
4
1
9
3
2
5
1%
+150%
Quoted – Main Euro Markets
17
23
0
9
3
5
6
4
3
10
4
5
1%
+25%
Quoted – Euro 2nd Markets (inc AIM)
24
22
4
9
5
6
5
6
2
9
9
6
1%
-33%
Quoted – Nasdaq
3
6
2
0
0
1
1
1
3
1
1
0
0%
-100%
Quoted – Other Exchanges
2
2
1
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0%
n/a
Government Owned
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0%
n/a
TOTAL
1595
1423
382
477
357
379
318
337
353
415
513
605
100%
+18%
Country of Acquired Company
2002
2003
Q1 02
Q2 02
Q3 02
Q4 02
Q1 03
Q2 03
Q3 03
Q4 03
Q1 04
Q2 04
%
Trend
UK & Eire
456
420
98
137
111
110
91
119
111
99
150
146
24%
-3%
Germany
193
151
48
50
43
52
39
35
31
46
53
65
11%
+23%
France
143
132
43
44
28
28
35
29
33
35
62
65
11%
+5%
Scandinavia
232
233
60
72
51
49
42
51
59
81
93
116
19%
+25%
Benelux
146
90
26
47
36
37
18
16
18
38
35
53
9%
+51%
Italy
49
66
11
14
10
14
20
21
10
15
14
19
3%
+36%
Austria & Switz
62
62
19
17
10
16
22
13
10
17
20
19
3%
-5%
Spain & Portugal
36
56
9
10
3
14
13
14
10
 15
19
3%
+27%
Greece, Turkey & Israel
29
11
10
9
3
7
3
5
2
1
2
9
1%
+350%
E. Europe
89
84
16
22
24
27
8
18
30
28
31
43
7%
+39%
TOTAL EUROPE
1435
1305
340
422
319
354
291
321
314
379
475
554
92%
+17%
North America
134
94
34
47
29
24
20
12
34
28
26
36
6%
+38%
Rest of World
26
24
8
8
9
1
7
4
5
8
12
15
2%
+25%
TOTAL
1595
1423
382
477
357
379
318
337
353
415
513
605
100%
+18%
Total Value of Deals $b
144.84
98.54
34.15
39.70
41.99
29.00
25.13
25.17
33.74
14.50
19.85
30.15
Deals > $10b
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Deals $1b to $10b
31
14
7
8
10
6
4
4
5
1
3
6
Deals $100m to $1b
90
98
12
25
26
27
19
22
27
30
28
33

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNOUNCED ACQUISITIONS IN THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE & SERVICES INDUSTRIES TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING EUROPEAN COMPANIES ANALYSIS OF SELLERS
Industry Sector of Acquired Company
2002
2003
Q1 02
Q2 02
Q3 02
Q4 02
Q1 03
Q2 03
Q3 03
Q4 03
Q1 04
Q2 04
%
Trend
IT Consultants
88
94
25
27
21
15
22
18
22
32
22
29
11%
32%
Professional Services
99
87
31
34
19
15
17
15
21
34
31
33
13%
6%
Systems Integrators
116
90
6
58
29
23
22
19
20
29
28
54
21%
93%
Vertical Solutions
93
52
13
47
16
17
12
9
15
16
29
26
10%
-10%
Outsourcing Services
26
42
5
0
8
13
8
7
10
17
11
18
7%
64%
Technical/Desktop
13
23
6
3
2
2
5
1
5
12
4
6
2%
50%
Online Support Services
5
11
0
2
1
2
3
2
2
4
1
1
0%
0%
Training
19
25
6
8
2
3
5
9
2
9
9
9
4%
0%
Recruitment/Resourcing
11
15
4
4
3
0
3
3
2
7
8
15
6%
88%
Application Software
169
139
50
39
39
41
38
33
36
32
35
38
15%
9%
Consumer Software
29
20
6
9
9
5
5
3
5
7
10
6
2%
-40%
System Software
37
43
21
3
8
5
12
9
15
7
14
14
6%
0%
Internet Software
34
21
5
16
6
7
4
6
7
4
1
5
2%
400%
TOTAL
739
662
178
250
163
148
156
134
162
210
203
254
100%
25%
Type of Acquired Company
2002
2003
Q1 02
Q2 02
Q3 02
Q4 02
Q1 03
Q2 03
Q3 03
Q4 03
Q1 04
Q2 04
%
Trend
Private Companies
421
334
98
135
91
97
82
77
73
102
144
160
63%
11%
Group Divisions/Subsidiaries
287
288
72
103
67
45
66
51
78
93
55
86
34%
56%
Quoted – London Stock Exchange
11
8
2
4
2
3
3
0
4
1
1
2
1%
100%
Quoted – Main Euro Markets
7
14
0
4
2
1
3
2
2
7
1
2
1%
100%
Quoted – Euro 2nd Markets (inc AIM)
9
14
3
4
1
1
4
2
7
2
4
2%
100%
Quoted – Nasdaq
1
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0%
n/a
Quoted – Other Exchanges
3
1
2
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0%
n/a
Government Owned
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0%
n/a
TOTAL
739
662
178
250
163
148
156
134
162
210
203
254
100%
25%
Country of Acquired Company
2002
2003
Q1 02
Q2 02
Q3 02
Q4 02
Q1 03
Q2 03
Q3 03
Q4 03
Q1 04
Q2 04
%
Trend
UK & Eire
220
215
44
69
50
57
51
54
61
49
64
73
29%
14%
Germany
106
72
28
31
23
24
20
12
14
26
18
17
7%
-6%
France
65
61
18
23
17
7
15
11
13
22
22
29
11%
32%
Scandinavia
137
123
39
45
32
21
23
23
31
46
45
59
23%
31%
Benelux
52
41
7
20
12
13
7
7
7
20
16
23
9%
44%
Italy
17
26
4
7
1
5
10
4
3
9
4
8
3%
100%
Austria & Switz
20
18
6
9
2
3
7
2
4
5
9
10
4%
11%
Spain & Portugal
16
21
5
7
1
3
8
4
2
7
5
5
2%
0%
Greece, Turkey & Israel
16
6
6
6
1
3
3
3
0
0
1
6
2%
500%
E. Europe
21
25
4
10
3
4
1
7
6
11
5
9
4%
80%
North America
62
45
14
22
18
8
9
6
18
12
10
8
3%
-20%
Rest of World
7
9
3
1
3
0
2
1
3
3
4
7
3%
75%
TOTAL
739
662
178
250
163
148
156
134
162
210
203
254
100%
25%
Total Value of Deals $b
16.75
15.43
5.97
5.65
1.59
3.54
2.83
2.14
6.49
3.97
4.28
4.41
Deals > $1b
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
Deals $100m to $1b
23
24
3
7
7
6
5
3
6
10
7
9