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Social customer service company Lithium Technologies recently announced in a press event that it had purchased Klout, a popularity contest startup. Although the website Re/code first reported on the acquisition in February, the companies didn't announce the technology merger until recently.

Live Nation and Ticketmaster officially merged in 2010, becoming Live Nation Entertainment a year after the merger deal was proposed in February 2009. Ticketmaster's acquisition of Eventjoy is certainly in line with recent trends. According to Mashable, 17 percent of Ticketmaster's sales were purchased using a mobile device this year, up 3 percent from the end of last year.

In accordance with the recent technology merger trend in which companies acquire others in order to expand their cloud-based offerings, Raleigh-based open-source software provider Red Hat, Inc. has announced its intention to acquire FeedHenry, a self-described "leading enterprise mobile application platform provider," for $81.8 million.

It was reported recently that AT&T may be considering a merger with DirecTV. According to an article in Time Magazine, AT&T is considering the possibility of acquiring DirecTV, which could mean another major consolidation in the telecom industry, if the Comcast Time Warner deal goes through. Through this type of acquisition strategy, companies like AT&T and Comcast look to strengthen their offerings and become dominant players in the market.

Nest acquired Dropcam for $555 million, and Google recently began implementing the additional capabilities it obtained as a result of the technology merger, integrating the Nest thermostat with Dropcam so users can choose to have the surveillance camera activate automatically when the thermostat is set to "away."

Multinational tech company Oracle recently announced its successful acquisition of MICROS Systems, Inc., a Maryland-based hospitality-centric hardware and software manufacturer. The merger, which was recently approved by the European Commission, totaled $5.3 billion at $68 per share, and is Oracle's most significant acquisition since purchasing Sun Microsystems in 2010, reports Bloomberg writer Dina Bass. Oracle has acquired approximately 100 companies over the last ten years, spending roughly $50 billion in the process.

Since it's so difficult to become the next Match.com or the next Tinder, online dating is a tech space where mergers and acquisitions aren't uncommon. This week, it was announced that Match bought PlentyOfFish for $575 million.

Companies have a diverse set of philosophies that guide their mergers and acquisitions activity. Some seem to apply no rhyme or reason at all to the decisions they make to buy or not buy other firms. Nevertheless, when a company demonstrates as much success as Google, it stands to reason that its litmus test should be particular and a bit bold. That's why a general rule of thumb Google applies before M&A is called the "toothbrush test."

After announcing that it planned to sell its assets to Staples back in February, office supply chain Office Depot has finally gained the approval of its shareholders to go ahead with the merger. However, nothing is definite yet, as the two companies still have to get permission from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) before the merger can be completed, and the commission has previously declined to give the go-ahead for the two companies to merge.

On this blog, we've discussed high-profile mergers and acquisitions in the ed tech space, a burgeoning and quickly changing field of research, development and product sales. As education organizations like schools, tutoring operations and colleges become more dependent on technology for teaching and learning, a host of products and platforms have filled the market to meet their needs.

Mergers and acquisitions between companies are built on relationships between people. As the pace of tech M&A picks up even more, the shuffle of finding and persuading companies to take a look at your firm becomes even more frenzied. One of the best ways to put your brand on the map and get your foot in the door of important meetings is to build a strong professional network.

There are times when mergers or acquisitions are used as a tool of retirement. When a longtime CEO is finished professionally and has no one to turn his or her business over to, sometimes a merger or acquisition can set his or her brainchild up for success while presenting a nest egg for retirement. A study called "CEO Preferences and Acquisitions" by Dirk Jenter and Katharina Lewellen of the National Bureau of Economic Research described this phenomenon in the traditional way these deals are viewed.

We previously discussed on this blog the possibility that AT&T would acquire DirecTV. It was recently reported that this acquisition deal is moving ahead. AT&T plans to acquire DirecTV in a $48.5 billion deal. When major players in an industry combine in a merger or acquisition deal, the consolidation can create concerns when a few large companies come to dominate a significant part of their industry. For this reason, these types of major acquisitions may have to be approved by federal regulators.

The best business decisions are not always clear especially in the realm of technology mergers and acquisitions. Recently, we started to discuss some of the primary factors to consider when thinking of selling your company. In that post, we talked a bit about the necessity of making preparations for the quick and profitable sale of your business.

Near the end of a robust year in tech mergers, Cypress Semiconductor has announced plans to merge with Spansion, a flash memory microcontroller firm. The semiconductor company already manufactures technology for Bluetooth and touchscreen capable devices, and acquired Spansion for a reported $4 billion, according to GuruFocus.

In the growing market of core insurance systems and services, two prominent brands, Majesco and Cover-All, have agreed to a merger. The companies, which provide platforms for policy, claims, billing, distribution management and intelligence needs, could increase their annual revenue to $100 million.

As a result of the merger, Mastek (owner of Majesco) shares surged by 20 percent, marking a fruitful beginning to the new partnership. By generating market interest and expanding their corporate footprint, the companies will have resources to compete like never before.

When it comes to mergers and acquisition deals, companies that are looking to make a major purchase have a lot of ground to cover. From making sure that financing is in order, to conducting due diligence, it is critical to have all of the necessary details in place to ensure the deal goes through without a hitch. An M&A advisor can provide useful guidance when dealing with these aspects.

As companies strive to stay competitive in the marketplace, some may turn to a merger or acquisition deal to obtain technologies that will allow them to strengthen their business. It was announced recently that Apple may be purchasing an app called Swell, according to an article in Tech Crunch.

The merger is the culmination of a five-year partnership, according to Mortgage Technology. Recently, Axacore has developed new platforms and technologies to support Scrypt's growth, so a merger appears to be a natural progression from casual collaboration to formal absorption. The merged company will retain the Scrypt name, with restructuring and consolidation initiatives to begin early this year.