The last week has seen some huge moves in the tech world, two of the largest involving UK companies. The changes effectively showcase how competitive the sector is and that acquisition and mergers can help companies to grow substantially.
The first huge move came when SoftBank completed the £24 billion deal for ARM, the innovative smartphone chip designer. The Japanese giant had stated their intention to purchase the UK business in mid July and the deal was formerly completed earlier in September. Following the merger ARM disappeared from the FTSE 100 listings because it is no longer a separate entity.
SoftBank has big plans for ARM and plans substantial investment in it over the next five years. The business will remain headquartered in Cambridge and the number of employees based in the UK is expected to grow in this period.
The second acquisition saw Micro Focus striking a £6.6 billion deal to buy the software division of Hewlett-Packard. The company will purchase all assets of HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise), including Autonomy.
Micro Focus has become one of the largest tech companies in the UK over the last few years. They were originally a minor player but have invested carefully and made some really great acquisitions. As a result they saw their revenue more than double in 2015, reaching £3.4 billion per annum. The overall value of the business now exceeds £5 billion.
The HPE purchase has earned Micro Focus a place on the FTSE 100, surprisingly taking the place that ARM vacated. Share prices on the morning the deal was announced enjoyed a huge rise and experts predicted the value would continue to rise. They are certainly proving to be the winner in the deal.
The two huge deals and success of SoftBank and Micro Focus are in stark contrast to HP. They have been gradually downsizing their business for the last few years, allowing them to focus on their core strengths. This has seen them sell off various branches, including their business services division. The company once enjoyed annual revenue in excess of $100 billion but the computer industry has changed substantially, seeing a rise in mobile technology amongst other things.
At Web Consultancy we keep a close eye on the tech world and love seeing success stories, especially when they involve UK businesses. Watching for developments that can have an impact on technology, the internet and the services we offer, including web design and content marketing, is vital for us. It means we can stay up to date and monitor progress.