Today’s Deals: Internet Tech Media Firms Get Hitched

 CNET Networks (CNET) acquires ZDNet
(ZDZ)

  
* 
Amount:         $1.6
billion

  
* 
Terms:           
50 million shares

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:       
Content/Communities

  
* 
Scorecard:      B

SAN FRANCISCO, July 19–CNET Networks and
ZDNet announced that they have signed a
definitive merger agreement by which CNET
will acquire ZDNet to provide technology
information and related services to businesses and individuals across
multiple platforms, including online, wireless devices, television, radio
and print. To effect the acquisition of ZDNet, CNET Networks will acquire
the outstanding common stock of Ziff-Davis, Inc. .
Each share of ZD common stock will be converted into 0.3397 shares of CNET
common stock and each share of ZDNet common stock will be converted into
0.5932 shares of CNET common stock. CNET expects to issue approximately 50
million shares of common stock in the transaction, valued at approximately
$1.6 billion. Read analysis of this deal in Kelly Black’s
DealTracker.




 

 TMP Worldwide (TMPW) to acquire QD
Group

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet
services

  
* 
Scorecard:      B+

LONDON, July 19–TMP Worldwide , provider
of global recruitment solutions, including the Internet career portal, Monster.com, announced plans to acquire
international legal recruitment specialists, QD Group, establishing
TMP Worldwide’s Executive Resourcing division as a leading global player in
the legal recruitment market outside the United States, both in terms of
fee income and geographical reach. QD Legal has long been established as a
leading legal recruitment firm in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, and
additionally operates in mid-market recruitment for the marketing, finance,
technology and career counselling sectors. Terms of the agreement were not
disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close in September.




 

 Turnstone Systems (TSTN) acquires Paragon
Solutions

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:       
Speed/Bandwidth

  
* 
Scorecard:      B-

SANTA CLARA, July 19–Turnstone Systems
announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Paragon
Solutions Limited. New Zealand-based Paragon has a proven track record of
delivering quality telecom products for leading manufacturers and is well
suited to bolster Turnstone’s
ability to deliver new products as a provider of hardware and software
products that enable local exchange carriers to rapidly deploy and
efficiently maintain DSL services. Financial terms were not disclosed.




 

 Digital Impact (DIGI) to acquire
MineShare

  
* 
Amount:         $34
million

  
* 
Terms:           
2 million shares

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:       
Advertising/Marketing

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

SAN MATEO, July 19–E-marketing firm Digital Impact announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to
acquire MineShare, a customer intelligence and analysis company
based in Santa Monica, Calif. With the acquisition of MineShare, Digital Impact will offer its clients
analytical tools and reporting capabilities enabling its clients to have an
integrated program for acquiring, retaining and analyzing their customers.
Digital Impact will acquire 100% of MineShare in exchange for approximately
2 million shares of Digital Impact common stock, valued at approximately
$34 million.




 

 GetThere (GTHR) acquires AllMeetings

  
* 
Amount:         $25
million

  
* 
Terms:           
cash and stock

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet
services

  
* 
Scorecard:      B-

MENLO PARK, July 19–GetThere , announced
it has agreed to acquire AllMeetings Corporation of Las Vegas,
Nevada for approximately $25 million in cash and stock. The AllMeetings acquisition will allow GetThere to deliver the first integrated
online corporate travel and meeting management system, adding to its
current system for corporate intranet travel procurement a platform to
serve

meeting planners who spend more than $120 billion a year on events
and meetings.




 

 Net2Phone (NTOP) acquires Aplio

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
cash and stock

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet
services

  
* 
Scorecard:      B+

HACKENSACK, N.J., July 19–Net2Phone , a
provider of voice-enhanced communications services, announced that it has
acquired Aplio, S.A., an integrator of VoIP technologies,
strengthening Net2Phone’s ability to
quickly deliver highly integrated, cost-effective voice enabled Internet
solutions to consumers and businesses worldwide. Aplio uses embedded Linux as its technology
platform, enabling Net2Phone to benefit from Aplio’s Linux capabilities in
addition to its own Unix capabilities. Financial terms were not disclosed.




 

 Conexant Systems (CNXT) to acquire NetPlane
Systems

  
* 
Amount:         $140
million

  
* 
Terms:           
2.7 million shares

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:       
Speed/Bandwidth

  
* 
Scorecard:      B

NEWPORT BEACH, July 19–Conexant Systems
announced that it has agreed to acquire NetPlane Systems of Dedham,
Mass. in an all-stock transaction. NetPlane’s software offering will
complement Conexant’s communications
semiconductor portfolio and accelerate the company’s entry into the network
switching business. NetPlane will join Conexant’s Network Access Division,
which provides a broad range of semiconductor system solutions for
multi-service access, broadband access and wide area network transport
equipment.