EDITOR’S COLUMN
COMPANIES IN THE NEWS
Acal 4
EDITOR’S COLUMN
Actebis 23
ALSO 22
john.garratt@iteuropa.com
ASBIS 3,11
Asseco 18
Autotask 7
Avnet 8,17
B2BITS 7
Channel beware: M&A activity
Bechtle 25
Bell Micro 1,22
BullGuard 4
C2C 11
Canon 8
Capgemini 4,15,18 W
e make no excuse for returning to the the same as seems to be happening at Alcatel-
theme of acquisitions. Last week saw Lucent after two years of merger, nearly 20,000
Capricode 11
rumours of Cisco or IBM buying Citrix as well as jobs have gone, there’s no dividend this year and
Cisco 1,3,6,12,13
EMC actually buying Iomega. In our news pages no real channel engagement that we can see.
chiliGREEN 1,3
Clinical Solutions 4
you will see Nimsoft buying a US operation, While rationalisation and consolidation
Comms-care 3 Canon buying its local Turkish partner, and have always been features of this market, this
Computacenter 11
several similar items, including in our financial time round, it is the money that is talking, not
Comstor 3
COS Distribution 23
reports, TietoEnator fighting off a bid it regards markets, geographical or vertical expansions, or
Definiens 18
as predatory. The prospects of a tough market technologies. The rush to scale in distribution is
Dell 3,23 this year and next are driving valuations down to having its casualties as we have seen already this
EPAM 7
the point where a market forms as funds become year. Just how big is big enough? There doesn’t
Fujitsu-Siemens Computers 11,23
Hesmak 8
available. Companies in IT and private capital who seem to be a natural limit.
Horizon 3
have built war chests over the last few years, European mergers and acquisitions reached
HP 18,23
are now faced with putting those funds to more an all-time high in the technology sector last
IBM 7,9,23
productive use, and want to buy business. year. This was businesses attempting to boost
Imtech 9
Ingram Micro 22
Unfortunately for the channels selling these growth and remain competitive, as we reported in
Ingres 10,16 products, reduced product choice too often February, based on research by Regent Associates.
Insight Test Services 4,15
means more returns for the vendor, but nothing But the UK market slowed - in-country deals
Lawson 6
much for the channel. A beauty contest after were definitely lower, particularly towards the
Lintec 1,3,23
Magirus 10
a takeover pitches end of 2007. This implies that
Maxdata 23 two sets of channels the bulk of the deals were
Medion 23
against each other, Reduced choice too often means international, if not global. As
Metro AG 10
so that even those the big get
Microsoft 12
more returns for the vendor, but
even bigger, this
Mobilis 11
selected to carry
nothing for the channel....
will continue.
Monster 18 the new lines know Finally, though, we can
NetSuite 4
that there will be recognise an opposing force
Nimsoft 5
Nokia 7
little left over for market development, especially - nomadisation - as communications get better,
Nortel 6
when venture capital or private equity is looking and markets and organisations permit, we all
notebooksbilliger.de 11,23 for a quick return, as it always is. And with hot can be more efficient by staying where we are
Oracle 3,7
money in the driving seat, costs will continue rather driving to work, self-employed rather than
Pixelpark 18
REAL Solutions 9
to be pushed down regardless of the long term committed to a single employer. We get a hint of
Reksoft 4
development or needs of the channel. what’s happening by the explosion of news in this
SAP 8,18
So you won’t hear the channel cheering M&A issue about teleconferencing. Now, if we can just
Scribona 9
activity as the reasons become apparent - much get the security and bandwidth issues solved.....
Sogeti 4,15
Sophos 11
Talk & Vision 5
Tech Data 9,22
Telanetix 9
Coming next in IT Europa
T-Systems 18
VMware 12,13
Westcon Group 8,11 The Spanish market has been very interesting for Contact us now on +44 (0) 1895 45 45 95
the last few years. Still beset with issues arising Or you can email me:
from its geography and divisions, there’s been
john.garratt@iteuropa.com
plenty of recruitment of partners and vendors.
If you have a channel topic or ideas or companies
you’d like us to cover, talk to us.
2 18 APR 2008
It0807 - 2-3_news.indd 2 16/04/2008 10:55:57
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