Today’s Deals: HP Adds Bluestone to its Hip Pocket

 3Com (COMS) acquires Nomadic
Technologies

  
* 
Amount:         $33
million

  
* 
Terms:           
100% cash

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:       
Speed/Bandwidth

  
* 
Scorecard:      B+

SANTA CLARA, Oct. 24–3Com announced that
it has acquired Nomadic Technologies, developers of wireless
networking products that 3Com will incorporate into solutions for both home
and small business customers. The Nomadic Technologies acquisition
builds on 3Com’s strength in wireless LAN
solutions for PCs by enabling connectivity for a wide variety of
Ethernet-ready devices, such as Internet access appliances, printers and
other non-PC devices. 3Com will pay Nomadic Technologies $33 million in
cash plus the assumption of debt and other obligations.




 

 Hewlett-Packard (HWP) to acquire Bluestone
Software

  
* 
Amount:         $480
million

  
* 
Terms:           
100% stock

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet
services

  
* 
Scorecard:      A-

PALO ALTO, Oct. 24–Hewlett-Packard and
Bluestone Software announced the companies have
reached a definitive agreement under which HP will acquire Bluestone in a stock-for-stock
strategic transaction. Bluestone is a leading provider of Internet software
platforms, tools and technologies for business-to-business,
business-to-consumer and mobile Internet transactions, and with this
acquisition, HP will expand its Internet software portfolio enabling
customers to develop and deploy applications and services that take
advantage of the emerging services-based computing model. Bluestone
shareowners will receive 0.2433 pre-split shares of HP common stock for
each share of Bluestone common stock.




 

 HealthCentral (HCEN) to acquire more.com
assets

  
* 
Amount:         $5.1
million

  
* 
Terms:           
5 million shares

&nbs

p; 
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        E-tailers

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct 24–HealthCentral , an online provider of healthcare e-commerce and content,
announced it has signed an agreement to acquire certain assets of the
online health superstore more.com and its subsidiary Comfort Living,
Inc., a 13-year-old home and personal comfort products distributor acquired
by more.com in February 2000. The acquisition of more.com’s assets is expected to complement
HealthCentral’s other recent
acquisitions which includes Vitamins.com and drugemporium.com. Under the
terms of the deal, more.com will receive 5 million shares of common stock
from HealthCentral that will not be eligible for sale prior to March 15,
2001.




 

 Global Sports (GSPT) to acquire Fogdog
(FOGD)

  
* 
Amount:         $40
million

  
* 
Terms:           
4.95 million shares

  
* 
Premium:        24%

  
* 
Industry:        E-tailers

  
* 
Scorecard:      B

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Oct. 24–Global Sports , a developer and operator of e-commerce businesses, and
Fogdog , an online sporting goods store,
announced that Global Sports has
entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding shares of Fogdog. Global
Sports plans to maximize Fogdog’s highly-recognized brand name, and its
current base of 300,000 customers, 600,000-name e-mail database,
48,000-member affiliate marketing program, and performance-based online
marketing deals, while eliminating nonperformance-based marketing programs,
including television advertising, event promotions and sponsorships. Fogdog
stockholders will receive 0.135 of a share of Global Sports common stock
for each share of Fogdog common stock, with the transaction approximately
valued at $38.4 million. For more analysis, see Kelly Black’s

Dealtracker article.




 

 PaperExchange.com acquires BoxDirect

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        E-commerce
enablers

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

BOSTON, Oct. 24–PaperExchange.com, a global e-Marketplace
and business solutions provider for the pulp and paper industry, announced
its acquisition of BoxDirect.com, an e-Marketplace focused on the
corrugated container and paperboard packaging industry. The BoxDirect acquisition extends PaperExchange’s planning and

procurement services to a wider range of suppliers. In addition, buyers and
sellers of corrugated packaging will be able to benefit from new e-business
information management and workflow tools.