mergertech

One of the ways smaller firms can make themselves most attractive to companies looking to buy is harnessing the power of strong branding. Brands represent not just the identity of a company, but symbolize a contract with consumers and business partners that requires great consistency and uniqueness.

This week, it was announced that Envestnet, a wealth management technology firm, has acquired Upside, a provider of services for registered investment advisors. With their combined skill set and knowledge about managing wealth, the companies can make a bigger splash in the investment advisor market.

"A lot of the functionality that makes the Uber app so reliable, affordable and seamless is based on mapping technologies," Uber said in a statement. "With the acquisition of deCarta, we will continue to fine-tune our products and services that rely on maps - for example UberPOOL, the way we compute ETAs, and others - and make the Uber experience even better for our users."

On this blog, we recently discussed Uber's acquisition of deCarta, a digital mapping service. One of the most interesting aspects of that deal is how it could decrease the ride service's dependence on Google Maps. If speculation that Google could enter the ride share marketplace comes to pass, in the coming years the Silicon Valley-based tech giant might launch a credible competitor to Uber.

The tech sphere is constantly expanding and adapting, and large corporations are continuously diversifying business models. For that reason, today's partner or service provider could be tomorrow's competitor. Native programming is essential to independence, reducing the influence of companies with competing interests. 

"This acquisition creates a tremendous opportunity for Nielsen in the programmatic media ecosystem," said Steve Hasker, global president of Nielsen. "Adding Exelate's solutions to the Nielsen family furthers our ability to help marketers improve the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and to help media companies better sell their content."

"Try to avoid gossiping and speculation," he cautions. "Focus on the work at hand. Of course, it doesn't hurt to do some networking while you are waiting for the outcome of the merger or acquisition, but avoid jumping at the first job that comes your way. Many times people get promoted during acquisitions and some get retention bonuses for taking on the risk of staying with the company."

When arriving at the terms of a merger or acquisition, third party avenues exist for executives to evaluate the sticker price of a company. However, experts say that the ultimate price a larger company pays for a smaller firm comes down to less objective metrics.

On this blog, we've just discussed the importance of exploring alternate domain names to prevent misuse and loss of traffic. Another way companies can foolproof their online presence is to follow trends in social media platforms. At present, sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram stand as the major mediums of building a following online. However, emerging social networks give companies the opportunity to own their corporate name before someone else snatches it.

One of the most practical ways the Internet has changed the way individuals do business is through personal finance platforms. From managing wealth to checking a bank statement, users have a multitude of tools at their disposal to make transactions and view where they stand financially.

One challenge is that talent-poaching can deplete a team of its key members before, during or following an M&A deal. For this reason, it's important for both the buying company and the acquired firm to iron out contracts and facilitate discussions that keep important players in place. If the architect of an integral strategy is courted to another company, suddenly the value of a merger or acquisition plummets with that person's departure.

The highest compliment a tech writer can give a mobile application is saying that it streamlines age-old tasks. One such area for app development is scheduling. Managing daily planners and literally "penciling in" important dates has largely been replaced by efficiency applications, both native and third-party to mobile devices. With the handiness of alerts and the ability to program functions on compatible applications, scheduling has never been so comprehensive.

Microsoft announced this week that it will acquire Sunrise, a scheduling app developer, for $30 million. iPhone owners are familiar with the Apple Calendar app, and Google users have come to rely on its web-based scheduling platform. To compete in a marketplace with established heavyweights, Microsoft's acquisition could enhance its productivity offerings.

Details of the transaction were not made available, but both companies released statements affirming their satisfaction with the terms, and optimism about their ability to enhance "digital wallet" technology. As customers become more reliant on tech devices for their finance management, more mobile payment methods have proliferated in the marketplace. LoopPay will work primarily with the mobile division of Samsung to bolster its movement toward app-based payment technology. 

One of the benefits of providing solutions as a third party is that if a partnership is successful enough, the question of acquisition may be raised down the road. For software developers, this means implementing the most impressive and efficient solutions possible for a larger company in need of assistance.

In Great Britain, Royal Mail is a leading provider of shipping solutions for businesses and consumers. In recent years, the explosion of ecommerce across Europe has heightened the demand for flexible, mobile-based shipping solutions. One app Royal Mail has rolled out with some success is Click and Drop, which allows ecommerce users to print labels for goods sold on eBay and other sites.

Make your case strong. If the business you're pitching to could take or leave an acquisition altogether, your company has an even greater responsibility to make a compelling argument for a deal. This means pulling out all the stops when you arrange meetings, and crafting a clear vision for how acquisition could benefit both companies.

Weddings are big business on the Internet, from sponsored Pinterest boards devoted to dream ceremonies to matrimonial websites dedicated to one couple's big day. WeddingWire, a Maryland-based software developer, has created planning solutions for brides and grooms.

This acquisition effectively takes WeddingWire global, a jump in reach that companies face when they expand overseas. From an acquisition strategy standpoint, international mergers and acquisitions present another set of hurdles to gain clearance. The company's statement about the acquisition emphasized the global nature of the wedding industry and represented the deal as savvy positioning to gain wider recognition. 

For companies in any stage of an M&A deal, carefully cultivating their corporate images is critical to success. This year, a host of new domain names will allow individuals and businesses to purchase websites with unusual words after the [dot]. Where websites have traditionally relied on .com, .org, .net and other popular domains, those have expanded to include .baby, .app and .fish.