Markets Down, Deals Up

 Micron Electronics (MUEI) acquires assets from
Inacom (ICO)

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        E-government
solutions

  
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Scorecard:      B

NAMPA, April 11–Demonstrating its commitment to serving the needs
of government customers, Micron Electronics (MUEI)
announced that it has acquired the assets of Inacom Government
Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inacom Corp. (ICO),
an Alpharetta, GA, based e-business and infrastructure solutions company.



Micron Electronics, through its wholly owned subsidiary Micron Government
Computer Systems, acquired the net assets of Inacom Government Systems for
an undi

sclosed amount of cash. These assets include unique contracts for
life cycle management support and professional services, a broad range of
approved government purchasing vehicles, and access to third-party hardware
and software products and peripherals.




 

 Proxicom (PXCM) acquires Clarity IBD

  
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Amount:         $73
million

  
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Terms:           
$16 million cash/1.29 million shares of PXCM

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Internet
consulting

  
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Scorecard:      B+

LONDON, April 11–Proxicom (PXCM)
, a U.S. e-business development company, said on Tuesday it had purchased
one of Britain’s leading e-business consultancies, Clarity IBD, for
around $73 million in cash and shares. Proxicom will pay $16 million cash
and 1.29 million shares for Clarity IBD,
which the U.S. company said was the latest strategic initiative to boost
its international operations.




 

 Cisco (CSCO) acquires Pentacom

  
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Amount:         $118.0 million
stock

  
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Terms:           
100% stock

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Computer networking
equipment

  
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Scorecard:      A-

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 11–Cisco Systems (CSCO)
, the world’s largest maker of computer networking equipment, said it would
buy Pentacom Ltd for $118 million in stock as it continues its
breakneck acquisition pace. Cisco said it is acquiring Herzliya,
Israel-based Pentacom to expand its
product portfolio to help service providers build more flexible, manageable
and cost effective, end-to-end Internet protocol-based networks. Cisco has
said it plans to buy between 20 and 25 companies this year, up from 18 in
1999. It unveiled four acquisitions in March alone.




 

 Log On America (LOAX) acquires
RediCom

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:       
Telecommunications

bsp;

  
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Scorecard:      C+

PROVIDENCE, April 11–Log On America (LOAX)
, a rapidly growing D-CLEC+, today announced that it acquired RediCom
Communication Systems, one of Rhode Island’s largest independent
communications equipment and installation companies. Terms of the deal were
not disclosed.



Under this second phase of Log On America’s Strategy 2000, Log On America
is systematically building-out its high-speed network, in which the RediCom
unit will provide a base location for Log On America’s Southern New England
fleet.




 

 NCR (NCR) acquires Ceres Integrated
Solutions

  
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Amount:         $90
million

  
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Terms:           
cash and stock

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Customer
relationship management solutions

  
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Scorecard:      B-

DAYTON, April 11–NCR Corporation (NCR)
announced the acquisition of Ceres Integrated Solutions, a leading
provider of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions and the leader
in retail targeted marketing applications. The cash and stock transaction
is valued at approximately $90 million.



The acquisition, effective immediately, creates a market leader with the
combination of NCR’s Relationship Optimizer CRM suite and Ceres to form the
NCR CRM Solutions Division. Th

e combination provides true multi-channel
CRM, with timely personal offers and the ability to analyze customer
behavior from many dimensions.




 

 S3 (SIII) sells graphics chip business to VIA
Technologies

  
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Amount:         $323
million

  
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Terms:           
cash and stock

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Semiconductor
equipment

  
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Scorecard:      B+

SANTA CLARA, April 11–Multimedia software maker S3 Inc. (SIII)
said it will sell its personal computer graphics chip business to a newly
formed joint venture with Taiwan’s VIA Technologies for about $323
million in cash and securities. S3 will receive additional earn-outs if
certain financial milestones are achieved by the joint venture.



As part of the agreement S3 will sell 3 million shares of its stock to VIA Technologies at a price coinciding
with the signing of the definitive agreement. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based
S3 said the VIA transaction is expected to be completed prior to its third
quarter and customers should not expect disruptions of any kind.




 

 Cree (CREE) acquires Nitres

  
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Amount:       &

nbsp; $160
million

  
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Terms:           
1.5 million shares of CREE

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Semiconductor
equipment

  
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Scorecard:      A

DURHAM, April 11–Cree (CREE)
, the world leader in the development and manufacture of semiconductor
materials and electronic devices made from silicon carbide (SiC), today
announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held
Nitres, a leader in research and development of nitride-based
semiconductor devices. As a result of the acquisition, Nitres will become a wholly-owned
subsidiary called Cree Lighting Company, a California corporation. The
transaction is expected to be completed by the end of May 2000.



Under the terms of the agreement, Cree will acquire all of the outstanding
and vested shares of Nitres stock in exchange for approximately 1.5 million
shares of Cree common stock in a pooling of interests transaction. In
connection with the transaction, Cree will issue approximately 350,000
unvested Cree shares in exchange for unvested Nitres shares and assume all
outstanding Nitres stock options and warrants which will be exercisable for
approximately 150,000 shares of Cree common stock.




 

 Intasys (INTA) signs LOI to merge with Noha
Systems

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Corporate
software

  
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Scorecard:      C

MONTREAL, April 11–Intasys Corporation (INTA)
announced that it has entered into a letter of intent with Noha Systems
Limited of Preston, U.K. (NSL) to merge its Intasys Management Systems
electronic billing solutions division (IMS) with their mediation, billing
and interconnectivity assets to create Noha Systems Inc., a global leader
in innovative, cost-effective mediation, billing and customer care and
interconnected solutions.



In addition to contributing the assets of its IMS division, Intasys will
provide $2 million equity to Noha
Systems. As a result, Intasys will own approximately 70% of the common
stock of Noha and NSL will own the remaining thirty percent. This alliance
resulted in a $2.6 million contract being awarded by the Kuwait Ministry of
Communication to supply its billing and customer care system.




 

 Leading Edge Systems acquires
APPLISOFT

  
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Amount:         $9
million

  
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Terms:           
100% cash

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Financial
software

  
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Scorecard:      B

BOMBAY, April 11–Leading Edge
Systems, an Indian software developer, said on Tuesday that it has
agreed to buy an American software company APPLISOFT for $9 million. APPLISOFT is a privately
owned firm, based in California, focused on software services business.




 

 InternetStudios.com (ISTS) acquires
itstv.com

  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
100% stock

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        Internet
television

  
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Scorecard:      C-

LOS ANGELES, April 11–InternetStudios.com (ISTS)
, a company enabling the licensing of filmed entertainment rights via the
Internet, today announced that it has acquired “itstv.com”, an
Internet company engaged in the marketing and sales of television
programming rights.



The agreement provides for InternetStudios.com to acquire the business
operations of itstv.com from co-founders
Allan McKeown and Nick Witkowski for an undisclosed amount of stock. A name
change and joint relaunch with InternetStudios’ new subsidiary,
OnlineTVSales.com is expected shortly, as the URL itstv.com remains the
property of its founder.