Thursday, December 18, 2008

More acquisitions The other acquisition news leaves almost as much unsaid as said. I have an interview scheduled for after the holidays to follow up on some questions. This acquisition is in the remote services (sometimes also called M2M) space. Axeda, the on-demand remote service software company, acquired "the technology and related assets of Questra Corp." What the technology and assets are remains to be clarified. Checking the Questra Website immediately after I received the announcement redirected me to the Axeda Website. Evidently Questra is gone. But the release states, "the combination of Axeda and Questra creates the world's largest and most innovative software company dedicated to delivering breakthrough remote service solutions--transforming the way product manufacturers support their customers." One statement in the press release hints that the plum in the pudding is Questra's customer base. I have long seen the value of remote services (it should be noted that most of these are not in manufacturing), but I have had trouble understanding the business model. If this is a time of consolidation, then perhaps a critical mass in one company will make it possible to achieve good returns. More later, I'm sure. 5:06:16 PM    comment []

Emerson acquisition There are a couple of acquisitions in the news this week. Here's one in process systems--and one that highlights the importance of engineering services for the process systems suppliers. Emerson announced that it has acquired Bay-Tec Engineering of Napa, California. Bay-Tec becomes part of Emerson Process Management. The release explains that the acquisition expands "Emerson's capabilities for providing technical and management services for the consultation, design, engineering and implementation of process automation systems for the life sciences, refining, and other industries." Terms of the deal were not announced. "Bay-Tec's expertise delivering projects and enabling clients with a commitment to quality and consistency is highly complementary with our existing project service capabilities," said Steve Sonnenberg, president, Emerson Process Management. "The acquisition expands our ability to address industry needs for automation engineering and project management solutions, particularly on the US West Coast. We are committed to growing our worldwide design, engineering and implementation capabilities, and this acquisition is a contribution to that goal." Bay-Tec Engineering is headquartered in Napa, California, and has branch offices in Brea, California, and Portland, Oregon. It is a process control system engineering and industrial technical services company. Bay-Tec's expertise covers a wide range of project services including project management, engineering and design (including cGMP processes), system integration, panel fabrication, installation and commissioning, calibration, and system validation. Bay-Tec supports all of the leading process automation systems and will continue to do so. 4:57:31 PM    comment []