Digital Lifescapes

Last year may be remembered for many years to come, for a variety of reasons, including significant market transactions. Mergermarket , an Acuris company, has released its global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) roundup report of the Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) sector for the whole year. In 2017, global dealmaking in the TMT sector saw 3,389 deals worth a combined $498.2 billion. Although total deal value fell 26.3 percent compared to the $ 676.3 billion tallied in 2016, a new Mergermarket record by deal count was set, increasing by 233 transactions over 2016 (3,156 deals) to reach an all-time high. Technology Sector Market Development The latest market trends highlight the increasing influence of technology in just about everything. In fact, senior executives in various industries have been under pressure to incorporate digital transformation projects, in order to survive and prosper in the evolving global marketplace. This has already forced company consolidations ...

The savvy CEOs anticipate that trends in 2017 are likely to follow the path of disruptive events in 2016. Change is the norm. Digital technology will continue to have a dramatic impact on legacy players in the marketplace. Technology, Media and Telecommunication (TMT) sectors completed 3,021 deals worth $698.2 billion in 2016, representing a decrease of 4.5 percent in value and 5.7 percent in deal count compared to a record 2015, while deal count remained consistent, according to the latest market study by Mergermarket . The TMT sector accounted for 21.4 percent of global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity -- that's up from 18.5 percent in 2015, and its second highest share on Mergermarket record (since 2001) after 2013 (22.4 percent). TMT Sector Market Development Deal activity accelerated towards the end of 2016, with deals announced in the final quarter of the year (683 deals, $295 billion) marking the highest Q4 value on record. U.S. M&A activity rampe...

The Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) sector has experienced a re-balancing compared to the record M&A activity seen in 2015, according to the latest global market study by Mergermarket . During the first half (H1) of 2016, 1,363 deals worth $223.1 billion represented a 41.6 percent decrease in value compared to H1 2015 ($382.3 billion, 1,580 deals), and the weakest H1 deal value and count since 2013 ($173.5 billion, 1,056 deals). Reflecting this low activity, no mega-deals (< $10 billion) took place within the Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector during H1 2016, compared to a record nine during the same period in 2015, with the highest recorded deal of H1 -- Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holding's acquisition of Finland's online gaming editor Supercell -- valued at $8.6 billion. TMT Market Development Results Following a succession of high valued deals seen over the past few years, Telecommunications M&A seems to be feeling the e...

The combined Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) sector has continued to evolve throughout this year, as ongoing consolidation results in some huge deals. Furthermore, in the near future, we could see more private equity transactions. "Entire private equity funds have formed in recent years around a tech acquisition strategy," according to Mergermarket intelligence, highlighted by a 21.2 percent increase in the value of American technology buyouts ($32.8 billion) compared to the whole of 2014. TMT market activity during the first quarter through the third quarter of 2015 has reached the second highest annual value on Mergermarket record (since 2001) with transactions valued at $534.2 billion, only beaten by 2006’s full-year total at $600.9 billion. Compared to the whole of 2014, Q1-Q3 2015 accounts for 804 fewer deals (2,168 vs. 2,972), but has already seen a $10.8 billion higher deal value (vs. $523.5 billion), according to their latest worldwide market study. The...

The global networked economy has gained new momentum in 2015, with more strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. According to the latest global market study by Mergermarket , the Technology, Media and Telecom ( TMT ) sector had a very active first half (H1) 2015. Total deal value reaching $396.3 billion -- that's a 26.1 percent increase compared to H1 2014. As a result, the TMT sector reached both its highest deal value and share in global deal making (22.8 percent) for any H1 period on Mergermarket record (since 2001). The announced domestic acquisition of Time Warner Cable by Charter Communications within the Technology sector influenced the overall value, constituting 19.6 percent of the sector's total sum. The high price of this deal reflects a trend of increasing valuations throughout the whole M&A market this year, demonstrated by the average size of a TMT transaction reaching the highest on record in H1 2015 at $504 million per transaction -- ex...

The Technology, Media and Telecom ( TMT ) mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals are off to a slow start this year, according to the latest worldwide market study by Mergermarket . Market activity so far in 2015 was not able to match the performance of 2014. Case in point: the 612 M&A deals worth $144.3 billion in Q1 2015 were a 20.5 percent decrease by value and 61 fewer deals, when compared to the 673 deals valued at $181.5 billion in Q1 2014. Although global M&A activity share for the TMT sector has fallen from the 28.6 percent share in Q1 2014 to a 19.2 percent share in Q1 2015, the consolidated sector has still been the strongest globally, closely followed by the Consumer industry with $143.2 billion. Regional TMT M&A Market Trends European TMT targets, with a total of M&A activity valued at $61 billion, experienced a 33.1 percent increase over the $45.8 billion in Q1 2014 -- representing the highest Q1 value on Mergermarket record, and constituting 42.3 ...

Many silicon valley venture capital firms would prefer to forget the epic dot-com bubble that lasted from 1997 to 2000. But who can forget their naive rush to invest in some of the most absurd Web 2.0 start-ups and silly Social Media companies? It was truly unprecedented. Granted, the people who would most like to erase those memories are the senior executives at large corporations who helped to orchestrate the acquisition of a dot-com flop, at ridiculous market evaluations, then close the failed business within a year to eighteen months of the purchase. That fiasco would never happen again. Or, could it? Technology-related mergers and acquisitions (M&A) spending in 2015 is likely to continue at the record pace that was set last year, according to the latest market study by 451 Research. Bullish sentiment from corporate acquirers and bankers, combined with an optimistic macro-economic environment and a re-energized private equity market, is fueling the current M&A outlook...

Many traditional Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) companies are seeing their business models rapidly erode as communication services, news, information and entertainment content all shift to the Internet. For most telecommunication service providers and media companies, fundamental core business survival is now at stake, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. These legacy organizations must do more than simply adding functions, such as links to social networking sites, micro-blog messaging, chat rooms, and user comments or feedback. While these functions may help marketing and customer retention efforts, they do not represent a meaningful Web 2.0 business model. "Web 2.0 business models encompass an ecosystem of partnerships, designed to leverage both internal and external knowledge and assets" says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. End to end ownership of the entire business model is a lost cause. Telecom operators, media companies and others that are directly aff...