特艺出售汤姆逊视频网络公司

一块一块地, the Thomson technology group that started with the purchase of Technicolor in 2000, 正在被拆除. While the recent sale of Grass Valley Group made big headlines, there's another sale to keep an eye on: today's announcement of the sale of the Thomson Video Networks assets to a surprising buyer.

十年前, 卡尔顿, which was then the second-biggest shareholder in the UK's ITV television group, 选择将特艺色彩出售给总部位于法国的汤姆逊. 那笔交易的价签是1英镑.40亿美元(约20美元).04 billion USD at the time the transaction was completed).

汤姆逊取了“特艺彩色”这个名字, 哪个在电影和数字媒体圈很有名, 继续扩张自己的帝国. 然而，它在2009年和2009年开始显示出疲软的迹象, 到2010年初, it had begun disposal proceedings as Technicolor took on a restructuring.

Technicolor successfully sold off Grass Valley's broadcast business to Francisco Partners, 这笔交易对广播业务的估值为1亿美元.

2010年底，Francisco Partners完成了这笔交易, with terms being primarily in the form of a promissory note "issued to Technicolor with a six-year maturity and bearing a capitalized interest of 5% per year" and Euros 20 million in cash transferred to Technicolor "for ongoing management of the activity."

The purchase of Grass Valley did not materially impact the restructuring, 然而, 特艺彩色注意到这一点, 考虑到报价的结构, Technicolor will not receive cash proceeds from this disposal which can be applied to the company's Disposal Proceeds Notes."

因此，公司开始出售其他资产, announcing in late 2010 that it was selling off much of its stake in Screenvision US to an investment fund, 三叶草资本成长基金II. This particular deal allowed $60 million to be "applied to the Disposal Proceeds Notes issued as part of the financial restructuring closed in the first semester 2010."

Technicolor continues forward as the film and digital services to Screenvision, 该公司持有少量的少数股权, and the company was also able to sell off a few other bits of Grass Valley transmission solutions, although they weren't material to the restructuring effort.

The proceeds from the Screenvision sale were enough of a catalyst for Technicolor to exit its restructuring, although only after it issued 50 million new shares at Euros 4.255 each, which it had been authorized to do at a shareholder's meeting in late 2010.

Which brings us to today's sale: A strategic investment fund in France, known as FCDE (Fonds de Consolidation et de Développement des Entreprises), is buying 100% of all of the Thomson Video Networks assets, 包括汤姆森的名字.

"The investment includes 100-percent ownership of everything considered to be part of Thomson Video Networks,特艺在一份新闻稿中表示. "This includes the entire portfolio: video encoders/decoders, MPEG处理器, 视频服务器, datacasters, 网络管理, 监控和切换产品线, 相关的R&D中心，以及全球的系统活动."

除了资产, the offer includes the Thomson Video Networks' global sales and customer support organizations, management and administrative support functions and the use of the Thomson brand.

“使用汤姆逊品牌,特艺彩色说," which has been synonymous with expertise and innovation at the highest level and a trusted partner to the world's leading broadcasters, 也是报价的一部分吗."

What's interesting about the purchase is that the consolidated fund, FCDE, is largely funded by FSI (Fonds Stratégique d'Investissement), which means the French government will indirectly salvage the Thomson name and also indirectly enter into the streaming media and digital television broadcast markets. FSI accounts for approximately half of the FCDE's funding, with the remaining about being funded by French-headquartered banks and insurance companies.

就其本身而言, Thomson Video Networks welcomed the investment-and the ability to stand on its own once again after a decade under the better-known Technicolor brand.

"The FCDE fully supports Thomson Video Networks in its continued global-growth strategy and sustained investment in R&D so as to ensure constant evolution and technological leadership,汤普森视频网络公司总裁说, 克利斯朵夫Delahousse. "We will be able to develop to our full potential as an independent organization strongly committed to R&D."

对研发的认可是这里的关键, as the innovation umbrella provides the best coverage for a government-funded acquisition of a private company in uncertain economic times. 就其本身而言, FCDE sees that Thomson Video Networks' growth will be more to the East and in the United States than in Europe.

"We want to help Thomson Video Networks to capitalize on its numerous innovations," said FCDE executive board member Charles-Henri Rossignol. "This investment will allow Thomson Video Networks to reinforce its presence with a renewed product line targeting the most promising market segments-satellite, 陆地, IPTV, 和Web t以及增长最快的地区(美国), 南美, 和亚洲)."