From Bagel Dog to Internet Incubator

 Intel (INTC) acquires Picazo
Communications

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
100% cash

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Computer-based
communications

  
* 
Scorecard:      A-

SANTA CLARA, April 10–Intel (INTC)
said that it acquired Picazo
Communications, a developer of computer telephony products, in an all
cash deal, as part of its focus on computer-based communications. Terms of
the deal were not disclosed.



Picazo, based in San Jose, Calif., has become a wholly-owned Intel
subsidiary and will operate within Intel’s Communications Products Group.
Picazo develops software called CT Media server software which is used to
build advanced telecom servers.




 

 Apple (AAPL) acquires Astarte intellectual
property

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        DVD authoring
software

  
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Scorecard:      A-

NAB 2000, LAS VEGAS, April 10–Apple (AAPL)
today announced it has acquired the DVD authoring software products and
the associated underlying technology from Astarte GmbH, the award-winning developer
of DVD authoring tools. Astarte’s DVD engineering team will join Apple as
part of the acquisition. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.




 

 ARM Holdings (ARMHY) acquires Infinite
Designs

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Semiconductor
equipment

  
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Scorecard:      B-

CAMBRIDGE, UK, April 10–ARM Holdings plc (ARMHY) today announced it has purchased the business and assets of Infinite Designs Limited, a
private limited company based in Sheffield, UK. A nine-person design
services house, Infinite Designs provides system-on-chip (SoC) solutions to
OEMs for a wide range of applications including advanced signal processing
wireless and multimedia solutions.



“The acquisition of Infinite Designs will provide ARM with additional
engineering resource, particularly in the key areas of SoC design and
verification,” said Warren East, vice president of Operations for ARM.
“Acting as an ARM Design Center, the Infinite Designs design team will also
offer ARM an excellent base for further expansion.”




 

 SmartForce (SMTF) acquires Advanced Educational
Systems

  
* 
Amount:         $4.35
million

  
* 
Terms:           
100,000 SMTF shares issued to AES

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Educational
software

  
* 
Scorecard:    &nbs

p; C

REDWOOD CITY, April 10–SmartForce (SMTF)
announced that it has acquired Dublin, Ireland-based Advanced Educational Systems (AES), a provider
of e-Testing services that allow companies to implement fully secure,
proctored certification and compliance testing over the Internet. The
acquisition will allow SmartForce to integrate these leading-edge,
Internet-based e-Testing solutions into SmartForce’s e-Learning applications.



SmartForce will issue approximately 100,000 American Depositary Shares to
the holders of the outstanding securities of AES. The transaction will be
accounted for as a purchase. Also, WR Hambrecht & Co. today initiated
research coverage on SmartForce with a strong buy rating and a price target
of $58.




 

 US Interactive (USIT) acquires Think
Interactive

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet
consulting

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

PHILADELPHIA and TORONTO, April 10–U.S. Interactive (USIT)
, a leading Internet professional services company, today announced it has
acquired Think
Interactive, a Toronto-based Internet professional services company.
Think Interactive will conduct business as U.S. Interactive (Canada) Inc.
with all 17 Think Interactive employees joining the growing US Interactive
Toronto team. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



The acquisition of Think Interactive extends US

Interactive’s presence into
Canada where US Interactive can further provide the Global 2000 innovative,
e2e (end-to-end) solutions that help companies harness the power of the
Internet with wireless and broadband technologies. US Interactive will help
Canadian companies go from behind the Web to beyond the Web.




 

 BAB Holdings (BAGL) merges with Internet
incubator

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet venture
capital

  
* 
Scorecard:      D

CHICAGO, April 10–BAB Holdings (BAGL)
, which operates and franchises bagel, muffin and coffee restaurants, on
Monday said it agreed to merge with a New York-based Internet incubator.
The name of the Internet incubator, a company that invests in e-commerce
businesses, was not disclosed, but more information will be released within
the next two weeks, BAB Holdings said.



After completion of the deal, BAB’s current business would be assigned to a
subsidiary, which would be operated by current BAB management and would be
spun off in the future to BAB shareholders, according to the letter of
intent to merge. The existing shareholders would continue to own the same
number of shares, which would represent 10 percent of the equity in the
merged company. Additionally, existing shareholders would continue to own
100 percent of the current assets, the company said.




 

 NetWeb OnLine.Com (NWOL) acquires
Thegolfsupersi

te.com

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Online sporting
goods

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

BOCA RATON, April 10–NetWeb OnLine.Com (OTCBB: NWOL)
announces the acquisition of Thegolfsupersite.com effective
immediately. Terms were not disclosed.



NetWeb OnLine.Com is engaged in the creation, operation and acquisition of
a variety of proprietary commercial Internet web sites. The acquisition of
Thegolfsupersite.com will be combined with the company’s wholly-owned
subsidiary, The Golfing Network.Com, in order to create a golf industry
‘destination portal,’ thegolfingnetwork.com




 

 Xpedian (XPDN) acquires MCC of
Orlando

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:    &nbsp

;   n/a

  
* 
Industry:        E-financial
services

  
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Scorecard:      C-

CHARLOTTE, April 10–Xpedian (OTCBB: XPDN)
announced today in further execution of its business plan to become the
premier online financial services portal, it completed the acquisition of
MCC of Orlando, Inc., a division of www.MCCInsurance.com, a full-line
life and health insurance agency.



As previously disclosed, one condition to the agreement was that MCC retain
an option to purchase 250,000 shares of the common stock of Xpedian at
$5.00 per share for one year. Also, Xpedian paid MCC Companies of Tampa,
non-cash compensation in the amount of 400,000 shares of 144 restricted
stock for SE MCC of Orlando, Inc




 

 PetQuarters.com (PDEN) acquires
WeRPets

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        E-commerce pet
portal

  
* 
Scorecard:      C-

LONOKE, Ark., April 10–PetQuarters.com (OTCBB: PDEN)
today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire WeRPets.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.



Based in Nashville, Tennessee, WeRPets is an emerging online pet owner and
pet professional company that has developed strong relationships with The
Health Network and Galaxy.com. PetQuarters is a leading Internet-based pet
supply wholesaler and retailer. It owns and operates one of the largest pet
supply catalogue businesses in the United States, its Internet site
launched in mid-1998.