Technology Consolidation Continues

摘要

The merger of router, infrastructure and automation supplier Pro-Bel with video processing specialist Snell & Wilcox earlier this month continued the consolidation trend that broadcast equipment vendors have been riding for much of the past decade. While a new venture capital-backed Web video software startup seems to surface almost daily, the number of discrete manufacturers of specialized professional video hardware and software for television stations and networks keeps shrinking.rnThe Snell/Pro-Bel deal, orchestrated by British private equity firms Advent Venture Partners and LDC, is worthrn72 million British pounds, or roughly $99 million. The deal follows Miranda Technologies' $40 million acquisition of routing specialist NVision in December, and French conglomerate Thomson's announcement in January that it will sell its Grass Valley broadcast equipment business.