Posts Tagged ‘M&A’
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
 For the ninth year in a row, CEOs rate Texas as the #1 state in which to do business, according to Chief Executive magazine’s annual Best & Worst States Survey, released today. Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana also made the top five.
The results may alleviate some fears in North Carolina, where other such evaluations have not placed the state as high as in previous years.
The states rated worst for business are California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
It’s interesting that states with powerhouse venture capital sources and nation-leading business sectors such as California, Massachusetts, and New York top the list of worst states for business in these polls time after time. Makes you wonder just what these business-friendly state rankings really mean.
| Best 5 States for Business |
Rank 2013 |
| Texas |
1st |
| Florida |
2nd |
| North Carolina |
3rd |
| Tennessee |
4th |
| Indiana |
5th |
| Worst 5 States for Business |
Rank 2013 |
| California |
50th |
| New York |
49th |
| Illinois |
48th |
| Massachusetts |
47th |
| New Jersey |
46th |
The Best & Worst States Survey measures the sentiments of CEOs on a range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, educational resources, quality of living and infrastructure. For the 2013 survey, 736 CEOs from across the country evaluated the states between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14, 2013.
Ohio was the biggest gainer in this year’s survey, rising 13 spots from #35 to #22. “Ohio is doing some amazing things to attract and support a pro-business environment,” said Don Taylor , CEO of Fairlawn, Ohio-based Welty Building Company. The biggest loser was Delaware, which dropped 13 spots to #27.
California hostile to business?
CEOs say California’s poor ranking is the result of a perceived hostility to business, high state taxes and onerous regulations, all of which drive investment, companies and jobs to other states. According to the California Manufacturers & Technology Association,California accounts for 12.6% of total U.S. GDP, but only has a 2.2% share of investments in new and expanding manufacturing sites.
“When you investigate acquiring businesses in some of the states rated poorly for business conditions, the anecdotes all wind up being true,” said Kevin Hawkesworth , President & CEO of Florida-based Shaw Development. “The horror stories about these states are real.”
“California, Illinois and New York are simply awful states to operate facilities or employ people,” according to another CEO. “We will do almost anything possible to minimize our exposure to these anti-business environments.”
Piles of regulations a problem
“Thank you, California!” responded one Texas-based CEO facetiously. “Keep applying pressure on your job creators and we will keep welcoming their moves to Texas.”
A common theme among CEOs is the burden of constantly changing regulations. “Business is too hard without dealing with piles of regulations that are constantly changing,” said Rick Waechter , CEO of Boston Magazine. “I believe there have to be controls, but keep them simple and straightforward—and most importantly, don’t make it a moving target.”
“CEOs continue to tell us that California seems to be doing everything possible to drive business from the state. Texas Governor Rick Perry , by contrast, personally makes it his mission to lead corporate recruitment and economic development efforts in his state,” saidJ.P. Donlon , Editor-in-Chief of Chief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net.
Playbook for success
“The playbook for successful states boils down to three simple moves: engage in real dialogue with business leaders, adapt policies to create an attractive environment, and effectively communicate your story to real job creators,” said Marshall Cooper , CEO of Chief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. “This year’s rankings prove that smart policies result in increased investments, jobs and greater overall economic activity.”
| 2013 Biggest Gainers |
Positions Gained |
| Ohio |
+13 |
| Minnesota |
+6 |
| Alabama |
+5 |
| Arizona |
+4 |
| Kansas |
+4 |
| 2013 Biggest Losers |
Positions Lost |
| Delaware |
-13 |
| Mississippi |
-8 |
| Missouri |
-7 |
| Kentucky |
-4 |
| Wyoming |
-4 |
For complete results, including individual state rankings on multiple criteria, CEO comments, methodology and more, please visitChiefExecutive.net.
Tags: best, business, California, Chief Executive, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, M&A, NC, NJ, NY., ranking, states, Tennessee, Texas, worst
Posted in Alabama, Carolinas, Economy/Jobs, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
 Private equity firms are in a state of growth and considerable optimism, according to newly released results from the 2013 McGladrey Private Equity Survey.
Whether that translates into increased deals, larger deals, or better valuations remains to be seen. But a surge in merger and acquisitions activity is expected.
The survey, which includes responses from 125 private equity firms, shows that more than three-quarters of respondents (77 percent) are optimistic about their own economic conditions, with 20 percent reporting a neutral outlook and only three percent reporting that they were “not optimistic.”
“These survey results clearly indicate that private equity firms are regaining confidence,” said Don Lipari , national leader – private equity services for McGladrey.
Enthusiastic about growth opportunities
“These firms have exited companies they could, held tight to existing portfolios and taken advantage of obvious cost-cutting opportunities. Now, having spent several years cautiously watching for signs of an economic turnaround, they are enthusiastic about growth opportunities in the year ahead.”
Despite growing optimism, the survey does suggest that firms remain cautious about the economic conditions around them, with less than half (48 percent) reporting optimism about the global economy. The cautious sense of optimism about the external economic environment was also apparent when respondents indicated which external factors were having a high impact on their portfolio companies’ performance.
While more than half of the respondents indicated that typical factors such as “market conditions” and “energy costs” had a high impact, a relatively small number (16 percent) chose international economic factors. At the same time, a smaller but still considerable number of respondents pointed to policy matters such as regulatory compliance (30 percent), taxes (29 percent) and health care costs (15 percent).
Surge in M&A on the horizon?
With a potential surge in M&A activity on the horizon, the survey also sheds light on some of the risks and barriers firms must confront while managing their portfolio investments. While respondents reported running into a wide range of issues, the survey revealed a particularly notable – and surprising – series of challenges related to IT infrastructure.
Specifically, more than one-third of the respondents indicated that they “always” or “usually” find portfolio companies to have outdated business applications, infrastructure limitations, inadequate business analytics, and inadequate web and e-business capabilities. In each case, the number of respondents who said they “sometimes” encountered these problems was also more than 50 percent.
“While a solid IT infrastructure is widely recognized as a ‘must’ in the corporate world, these survey results indicate that private equity firms have yet to make IT due diligence a ‘must’ when targeting acquisitions,” said Dave Noonan , national director – private equity consulting, with McGladrey.
“The deficiencies respondents reported finding post-acquisition could interfere with a firm’s ability to execute its plan and result in substantial capital outlay; if combined, they could cripple an investment. That’s why it’s crucial for firms to not only conduct an IT review during the due diligence phase of acquisitions, but that they also review existing investments to plan appropriately for add-ons, carve-outs and exits.”
Read the McGladrey Private Equity Survey for more details.
Tags: confidence, deals, economic conditions, M&A, McGladrey survey, optimism, private equity
Posted in Economy/Jobs, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, April 12th, 2013
 You can see what’s hot and what’s not looking at the merger and acquisition picture in any industry, and in online and mobile, analytics, SaaS, mobile payments and food service and content firms are like spice to the big dish Internet companies these days.
Deal volume increased three percent relative to the prior quarter in online and mobile industry mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter of 2013, according to mid-market investment bank Berkery Noyes in its mergers and acquisitions trend report, but transaction value decreased 50 percent, from $15.8 billion in Q4 2012 to $7.9 billion in Q1 2013.
The SaaS/ASP segment experienced the largest quarterly rise in volume, improving 16 percent. Meanwhile, transaction volume in the E-Commerce segment increased six percent between Q4 2012 and Q1 2013.
Highest value deal
The segment’s highest value deal in Q1 2013 was Google’s announced acquisition of Channel Intelligence for $125 million.
In addition, major financial technology players completed several large Online and Mobile payments acquisitions during Q1 2013. For instance, ACI Worldwide acquired Online Resources Corporation for $203 million and FIS acquired mFoundry for $120 million.
M&A involving transactions with a large mobile component increased 33 percent over the past three months. Along these lines, there were several acquisitions in the food service information and content space.
Yahoo, OpenTable buys
 This included Yahoo!’s acquisition of Alike, which enables users to make recommendations about their favorite food establishments; and OpenTable’s acquisition of Foodspotting, an application that helps users share information about particular dishes.
With four transactions, Yahoo! was the most active Online and Mobile Industry acquirer during the quarter. Several of Yahoo!’s recent acquisitions demonstrate its renewed focus on mobile under CEO Marissa Mayer .
Yahoo! has already completed three mobile transactions thus far in 2013, acquiring social news application Summly, as well as applications Alike and Jybe. In contrast, Yahoo! only made two mobile transactions last year, both of which occurred in Q4 2012.
E-marketing and Search segments
As for the E-Marketing & Search segment, M&A activity increased nine percent in Q1 2013. \
“The ability to better profile and target consumers has necessitated the development and growth of companies that can analyze shoppers’ behavior and develop appropriate offerings to the consumer,” said Evan Klein , Managing Director at Berkery Noyes.
“This shift has led to the growth of data analytics businesses and, with the need to develop deeper relationships with consumers, the growth in loyalty marketing companies.”
 Just call me Larry. Regarding the segment’s social media marketing subset, one notable acquisition in Q1 2013 was Twitter’s acquisition of BlueFin Labs.
A key goal of acquiring the social television analytics company is for Twitter to gain additional advertising revenue by leveraging viewer data. TiVo and The Nielsen Company completed E-Marketing acquisitions in 2012, both of which focused on improving the ability to measure digital audiences.
A copy of the ONLINE AND MOBILE INDUSTRY M&A REPORT FOR FIRST QUARTER 2013 is available at the Berkery Noyes website.
Tags: ACI Worldwide, Alike, analytics, Berkery Noyes, BlueFin, Channel Intelligence, food service and content, Google, Jybe, M&A, Mergers and acquisitions, mobile and online, mobile payments, SaaS, twitter, Yahoo
Posted in Acquisitions, Google, Internet/New Media, Mobile, Studies, surveys, reports, Twitter | No Comments »
Thursday, April 4th, 2013
 Despite a challenging year for venture capital investment in 2012, the U.S. VC-backed industry remains substantial. Better portfolio company exits and returns suggest the slump in fundraising could be over in 2013, according to Ernst & Young’s tenth annual Venture Capital Insights and Trends Report.
According to the report, there is evidence of money flowing into companies that are perceived as lower risk. For example, there is a shift away from social media towards enterprise– the companies that are attracting greater VC interest are those that provide a service and are getting paid for it, rather than those that have a good idea, but have difficulty monetizing it.
Historically, the U.S. venture industry has been dominated by investments in technology and healthcare since in the U.S. more than half of the VC pool consists of companies in these two sectors.
Healthy exit environment crucial
Though U.S. VC investment activity overall declined by 15 percent to $29.7 billion in 2012 compared with 2011, and the number of investment rounds also fell, the drop was not as pronounced, declining by only four percent to 3,363. These U.S. numbers compare to global VC declines at 20 percent in amount invested and eight percent in deals.
“While 2012 was a tough year for global venture capital, the U.S. held relatively steady,” said Bryan Pearce , Director, Venture Capital Advisory Group, Ernst & Young LLP. “However, a healthy environment for venture backed company exits will be crucial for the U.S. VC industry outlook in 2013. Equity markets have started the year positively, which suggests these better exit prospects may materialize.”
Exit activity is also an important pre-condition for an uptick in fund-raising by VC firms. While global exits of VC backed companies declined by 27 percent in terms of amount raised and by 30percent based on the number of IPOs, the number of VC-backed IPO exits and the capital raised in the U.S. were relatively stable, after adjusting for the Facebook IPO proceeds of $6.8 billion.
Companies exiting via IPO are typically more advanced than those exiting via M&A. The median amount raised prior to IPO of$78.4 million and time to exit of 7.4 years, far exceeds the respective figures of $16.7 million and 5.1 years for M&A exits.
A number of venture capitalists who participated in the recent Southeast Venture Conference (SEVC) in Charlotte, NC, noted that most firms today are going to exit via M&A and should consider that from the very beginning.
VC model is realigning
VC firms are rethinking their investing strategies favoring investing smaller investments, at a later stage and on tougher terms.
This shift reflects two trends – the substitution for VC fund money in early stage companies by Angel investors, incubators/accelerators and corporate initiatives as well as a need to demonstrate a shorter time to exit in order to return capital to their investors, show a track record of success and, thus, start the process of opening and raising a new fund.
“The flow of capital being returned to LP investors has slowed significantly, which in turn has restricted investors’ ability to re-invest in new funds,” added Pearce. “Therefore, investors are showing a preference for the most successful ‘brand’ name funds, seeking out depth of experience and track record. They are also demanding better terms from VC funds, while the funds are requiring portfolio companies to meet stricter milestones and meet tighter time frames.”
Increasing role of corporate venture
Corporate venture investing is on the rise surpassing pre-dotcom levels in 2012. Corporate venture activity is especially strong in the IT sector and being driven by a combination of healthy corporate cash balances and corporate seeking external innovation due to the rapid pace of technological change as the rise of mobile, big data and cloud computing has created a disruptive business environment.
Corporations are eager to invest in venture-backed companies that can help them fill the innovation deficit in their strategy and innovation capabilities. The link between corporate investment and ultimate acquisition, however, is not always present in the U.S. In all sectors in the US only 2 percent of companies were acquired by an existing corporate investor in 2011 and 2012.
“In 2012, corporates cemented their important role in the VC ecosystem,” continued Pearce. “Where they choose to make an investment, typically in the later stage in the U.S., the valuation of the business in that round was usually greater than in companies at a similar stage with no corporate investor.”
U.S. Regional Outlook
As of January 2013, $167.9 billion was invested in 8,288 companies. Investment remains heavily weighted towards Silicon Valley –since 2000, cumulative equity raised in the Bay Area of $62.2 billion exceeds the total raised in New York, New England and Southern California - the next largest hotbeds – combined.
These same areas also ranked top five globally in terms of number of deals. New York witnessed the largest increase of active VC investors, approximately 150 percent in 2012 compared to 2006.
At the SEVC in March, one VC noted that it took substantially more investment dollars to get those West Coast firms to an exit. East Coast firms, he noted, used their capital more efficiently. A number of VCs at the event said they were actively seeking to diversify geographically and specifically interested in regions such as the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast.
The data in our Turning the corner: Global venture capital insights and trends 2013 report has been sourced from Dow Jones VentureSource.
Tags: 2013, angel investors, corporate venture, early stage, Ernst & Young, expectations, LP returns, M&A, realigning model, strategies, Venture Capital trends
Posted in Acquisitions, entrepreneurship, Startups, Studies, surveys, reports, venture capital report | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 6th, 2013
 The technology, financial services and healthcare sectors, among others, expect an increase in their companies’ or clients’ deal activity in 2013 compared to 2012. according to a survey conducted by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm.
Smaller, mid-market deals are driving the trend because they’re simpler to execute, but other dynamics contribute. Many firms have plenty of cash on their balance sheets and favorable credit terms are available.
Of the more than 400 survey respondents, 60 percent said that they would do more deals this year than last year.
The simpler financing terms associated with smaller deals, as compared to both large transactions and the megadeals, will drive middle-market M&A activity in the balance of 2013, according to 24 percent of the poll population.
Smaller, mid-market deals driving activity
However, 49 percent of respondents felt that collectively, simpler financing terms, fewer risks and integration challenges, as well as the less complexity of due diligence that’s needed for deals valued under $250 million, will serve as the catalyst for a deal market dominated by middle-market activity in 2013.
In fact, 22 percent of survey respondents indicated that in 2013 thus far, the deal market is already experiencing a high volume of middle-market activity; they also acknowledged favorable credit terms (11 percent) and elevated levels of cash on corporate balance sheets (eight percent) as driving the recent deals in the marketplace.
Corporate buyers have the advantage in the M&A space over private equity buyers (six percent) halfway through the first quarter of 2013.
Underlying fundamentals improving
“The underlying fundamentals in the deal market are improving, with the combination of a stabilizing U.S. economy, favorable credit terms, open debt markets, and high cash balances paving the way for an increase in M&A volume this year,” said Dan Tiemann , Americas lead for KPMG’s Transactions & Restructuring practice.
“As a result, companies may be highly motivated to execute transactions that drive their growth agendas, including deals that allow for business transformation and optimize new operating models.”
Effect of new regulations
When asked what effects new regulations might have on their ability to do deals in 2013, 21 percent of the poll population stated that they will cause integration challenges during the M&A process and in post-deal phases for their companies and clients.
Eighteen percent cited that new regulations have temporarily delayed their ability to do deals, followed by seven percent who have delayed M&A activity indefinitely; however, another seven percent cited they will actively pursue deals because of new regulation.
The breakdown of respondents includes M&A professionals in the following sectors: technology (17 percent); financial services (17 percent); healthcare (14 percent); diversified industrials (nine percent); energy (eight percent); and consumer markets (seven percent).
Tags: financial services, Healthcare, KPMG, M&A, mid-market, tech
Posted in Acquisitions, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
 Justin Reger By Allan Maurer
While landing a round of venture financing can help drive a startup’s growth, the best venture firms bring more than money to the table when they make a deal.
Justin Reger, a principal at LLR Partners, a middle market private equity firm with more than $2 billion under management, says that the first step his firm takes following its investments – whether as a majority or minority investor – is set-up a strategic planning session.
Reger, who manages LLR’s technology practice and previously an investment banker with Citigroup focused on technology, about the added value investors provide their portfolio companies at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference in Charlotte, NC, March 13-14.
First: strategic planning
“Soon after we close a deal,” says Reger, we hold a two-day offsite strategic planning session, first for one-year and then for three. We hire a moderator who knows the industry.”
LLR starts by sharing its due diligence findings with the company and its management team. “We put that on the table and build the strategic plan with the team. We don’t say what they could do. It’s more to create a framework. Then we build up operations and tactics to support the plan.”
LLR then revisits the plan with the company each year. Some have accomplished their goals, some have not. The plan is updated annually.
Second: augment management teams
Next, LLR looks at a company’s management team. “Often, teams are incomplete,” says Reger. “They may have a solid CEO, a CFO, and maybe a head of sales. They may not have a product or marketing manager. We don’t look to replace senior management, but rather to augment the bench from our network.”
That is often guided by the results found by an outside assessment firm hired during LLR’s due diligence process. “They identify key areas that need to be upgraded or augmented to drive value.”
Third: Getting to $100 Million
Next, LLR looks at the company’s finance function, where infrastructure is “typically lacking,” says Reger. “The typical company we invest in has a strong product in a well defined market, but has to breakthrough from $10 million to $15 million in revenue to $100 million.”
Fourth: M&A possibilities
Reger says LLR also sometimes “Serves as an outsource M&A arm for the company. We canvas the network of adjacent players and make calls, qualify opportunities, work with management to see if it’s a fit and help with integration.”
Many companies in which LLR invests also benefit from channel partner development, Reger notes. “There is an ecosystem of larger players, resellers, OEM sales channels and a portfolio company’s ultimate acquirer might be in that system. The IBMs, SAPs, and HPs of the world. We have pretty good contacts at those organizations.”
Tags: 2013, added value, Allan Maurer, augmenting teams, Justin Reger, LLR Partners, M&A, Southeast Venture Conference, strategic planning, venture investments
Posted in Acquisitions, entrepreneurship, Events, Startups | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
 Washington, DC made this years list of the top ten cities for private tech M&A at number 7. PrivCo has released rankings of the Top U.S. Cities For Private Tech M&A, based on the number of private tech companies acquired in 2012.
PrivCo has provided its Exclusive Top 10 Ranking below, with Silicon Valley ranking as the #1 metro area with 226 private tech company acquisitions in 2012.
Ranked just behind it were New York (Ranked #2) & Boston (Ranked #3).
San Diego, Research Triangle miss top ten
Interestingly, up-and-coming tech hubs like New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta are challenging traditional leaders like Raleigh-Durham’s “research triangle” and biotech hub San Diego, who missed this year’s Top 10 U.S. Cities For Private Tech M&A.
Top 10 U.S. Cities For Private Tech M&A in 2012
(Ranked By Total Number of U.S. Private Tech Companies Acquired in Each Metro Area)
1. Silicon Valley
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Los Angeles
5. Seattle
6. Austin
7. Washington, D.C. (Arlington)
8. Atlanta
9. Dallas
10. Houston
To access PrivCo’s 350 page 2012 Private Tech M&A Industry Report:
http://www.privco.com/products/2012-m-and-a-industry-overview-technology-sector-volume-I
Tags: Arlington, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, DC, Houston, LA, M&A, New York, private tech, Research Triangle, San Diego, Seattle, Silicon Valley, top ten cities
Posted in Acquisitions, Carolinas, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, DC | No Comments »
Thursday, February 21st, 2013
 Despite concerns about a global economic slowdown, 58 percent of technology CFOs anticipate revenue to increase in 2013, according to data released today by BDO USA, LLP. CFOs foresee overall revenue increases of 8.7 percent – an increase of 6.1 percentage points from 2.6 percent in 2012.
Of those CFOs who anticipated revenue growth, 20 percent expect their business’ bottom line to increase by 5 to 9 percent; only about one-in-ten CFOs surveyed expect revenue to decrease.
M&A activity to remain strong
Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity is expected to remain strong in 2013, according to the CFOs surveyed.
Nearly all CFOs expect M&A activity will increase (60 percent) or remain the same (25 percent) as 2012 levels. CFOs predict that M&A activity will be primarily offensive (72 percent).
Thirty-three percent of financial officers identifying access to technology assets and intellectual property as the primary driver for M&A, followed by revenue and profitability (29 percent) and market share (20 percent).
Primary reason for M&A?
While access to technology assets and intellectual property (IP) has always been a factor for technology companies’ acquisition strategy, this is the first time in survey history that CFOs cited it as the primary reason for M&A activity.
“We are at the beginning of a new ecosystem in the tech industry. The ‘acquire or retire’ mentality is growing among technology companies who see acquisitions as a way to enhance their IP and gain access to talent that will advance their brand and product portfolio,” said Aftab Jamil, partner and director of the Technology and Life Sciences practice atBDO USA, LLP.
“Acquisitions by Facebook and Google are excellent examples of recent M&A trends that focus on the acquisition of talent and IP as the primary strategic drivers.”
These findings are from the seventh-annual BDO Technology Outlook Survey, which examined the opinions of 100 chief financial officers at leading technology companies throughout the United States. The survey was conducted from December 2012 to January 2013.
Other major findings from the 2013 BDO Technology Outlook Survey include:
- Software sector driving M&A activity. Of CFOs surveyed, 63 percent expect the competitive software/cloud computing sector to drive the most deal activity, a 62 percent increase from 2012. Hardware (13 percent) and social media (10 percent) are also expected to be key drivers.
| Technology Sector |
|
|
2013 |
|
|
2012 |
|
|
2011 |
| Software, including cloud computing |
|
|
63% |
|
|
39% |
|
|
32% |
| Hardware |
|
|
13% |
|
|
11% |
|
|
10% |
| Social Media |
|
|
10% |
|
|
– |
|
|
– |
| Biotech/Life Science |
|
|
7% |
|
|
12% |
|
|
15% |
| Clean Tech |
|
|
6% |
|
|
6% |
|
|
13% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- IPO attitudes impacted after a challenging 2012. Two-thirds of CFOs believe that the problems characterizing IPOs in 2012 will impact IPO activity this year. While 48 percent anticipate IPO activity will increase, this is down from 63 percent who forecasted an increase in 2012.
- This trend mirrors recent findings published in the annual BDO IPO Outlook Survey that predicted slower growth in the IPO activity in 2013. While the JOBS Act attempts to reduce the regulatory burden for emerging growth companies seeking to launch IPOs and was enacted to open additional streams of capital for private technology companies, 79 percent of technology CFOs feel that it will have no impact on IPO activity in 2013.
- CFOs turning to private debt and private equity to raise capital. For companies who are seeking capital, 52 percent of CFOs say they will look to private debt in 2013. However, private equity gained additional footing in 2013 with 42 percent noting that it serves as their primary strategy, up 13 percent from 2012 (35 percent). Fewer CFOs say they will look to public equity (4 percent) or public debt (1 percent).
“2012 was a strong year for private equity investment in the technology sector,” Lee Duran, Partner and Private Equity practice Leader at BDO. “Software, especially cloud computing and SaaS-based technologies, along with IT services, drove deal flow. As we look forward to 2013, we can anticipate larger conversations around valuations as the industry works to establish more realistic figures based on achievement and rooted in potential for future growth.”
Tags: 2013, BDO, IPO attitudes, M&A, private equity, revenue increase, tech cfos
Posted in IPOs, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
By Allan Maurer
 The mobile app economy is a big deal right now, with app developers commanding higher than average salaries and companies stumbling over each other to get on the mobile bandwagon. But, in five years, says Ron Shah, vice president at the Stripes Group venture firm, “many people will bypass apps altogether.”
By then, Shah says, “Just accessing the web on your phone will be so much better you won’t need 79 apps. Consumers will want to download apps less and less and just things on the open web.”
Also, he notes, “Two app stores now have a chokehold on user capabilities. That’s an unnatural place to be. Companies don’t want Apple or Google sitting between them and their customers.”
Shah is focused on sourcing and executing technology, software and internet investments as well as strategy and business development with portfolio companies at Stripes, which closed its current $350 million fund early in 2012.
Participating in the Southeast Venture Conference in March
Shah is actively involved with the firm’s investments in Kareo, Netbiscuits, eMarketer, Elance, MyWebGrocer, Art.com, Folica and Perimeter.
Prior to joining Stripes Group, Ron co-founded Endgame Capital, which focuses on land investment and development in the mid-Atlantic region.
 People networking at a previous Southeast Venture Conference. He’s one of more than two-dozen venture capitalists and investors participating in the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference in Charlotte, NC, March 13-14.
Shah will talk about the merger and acquisitions environment in areas where he has expertise at the event. “We’ve invested in several companies providing deep technologically integrated services in various industries,” he says.
He expects to see media companies, which made a round of acquisitions three or four years ago, to be looking to buy again. “They’re coming up on another cycle where they need to buy again to service their customers.”
Avoiding the Deathstar approach to software
He adds, “There’s a lot of pressure for those guys to figure out how to service existing relationships in a world that looks very different from ten years ago. They need to know what customers are consuming, how they consume and so on.”
 Another big trend he sees in M&A is in SaaS. “We’ve seen significant acquisitions of SaaS companies by the big guys – Oracle, IBM, SAP, Salesforce all bought several. They realize their clients are not in spending millions on the Deathstar approach to building software. People are coming from the bottom end and taking revenue from them, so they need to acquire to have cost effective offerings.”
He also notes that “In Enterprise technology, buyers have been aggressive with the evaluations they’ve been paying in core areas such as customer relationship and talent management and business intelligence.”
They can all be consolidated to some extent, he says. “We saw some of that in the marketing automation space. Then the larger players ended up getting bought: Buddy Media by Salesforce, Vitrue by Oracle.”
A process of consolidation
It’s a process, he explains. “Companies spring up in the venture space and rise to the forefront in a typical category. They buy smaller companies with innovative features. Then, if they’re playing in an interesting category, the big tech guys will buy them.”
Even after that big step in consolidation, three or four years later some of the big players realize they don’t have the right play in a category and “The cycle starts all over again,” says Shah.
 Next he says mobile device analytics is likely to see some consolidation. “A lot of the core tech companies feel the need to bolster their offerings,” Shah notes.
That interest is fanned by a couple of macro trends. “People are spending less time on print and more on the web, no one can deny that, and within that, they’re spending more time on mobile devices.”
The natural conclusion? “Ad dollars will slowly migrate there because that’s where the eyeballs are, on smartphones and tablets.”
Tags: Charlotte, CRM, digital media, IBM, M&A, mobile, NC, Oracle, Ron Shah, Salesforce, SEVC, Southeast Venture Conference, Stripes Group
Posted in Acquisitions, Events, Internet/New Media, Mobile, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
 PrivCo has just released its Annual Private Tech Company M&A Research Report: “The Top 100 Acquirers Of U.S. Private Tech Companies In 2012.
It includes: The Most Active Acquirers, The Companies They Acquired, What They Paid, Top 10 Target Co. Cities, Financial and Law Firm Deal Advisor League Tables, and More.” Included in this comprehensive, 350-plus page report are exclusive rankings of the most sought out M&A Law Firms for private company tech M&A deals in 2012.
PrivCo has provided its Exclusive Top 20 Ranking below, with Chicago-based international law firm Kirkland & Ellis topping the list as the #1 Law Firm in private tech M&A deals. Ranked just behind it were Weil, Gotshal & Manges (Ranked #2) & Jones Day (Ranked #3).
Top 20 Law Firms For Private Technology M&A Acquisitions In 2012: PrivCo Rankings
(Ranked By Number of Private Tech Company Acquisitions Firm Advised On)
1. Kirkland & Ellis
2. Weil, Gotshal
3. Jones Day
4. Davis Polk
5. Fenwick & West
6. O’Melveny & Myers
7. Cleary Gottlieb
8. Wilson Sonsini
9. Greenberg & Traurig
10. Goodwin Procter
11. Alston & Bird
12. Foley & Lardner
13. Hogan Lovells
14. DLA Piper
15. Latham & Watkins
16. Shearman & Sterling
17. Simpson Thacher
18. Clifford Chance
19. Skadden, Arps
20. Morrison & Foerster
To access PrivCo’s 350 page 2012 Private Tech M&A Industry Report:
http://www.privco.com/products/2012-m-and-a-industry-overview-technology-sector-volume-
Tags: 2012, M&A, private tech deals, top 20 law firms
Posted in Acquisitions, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
 States investing in broadband infrastructure are seeing stronger economic growth, better connected communities, and enhanced quality of life, according to a new study, ”TechNet 2012 State Broadband Index: Where States Rank as They Look to High Speed Connectivity to Grow Strong Economies and Vibrant Communities.”
Achieving higher network speeds depends upon private investment and, where necessary, appropriate public policies and investments. Specifically, the TechNet State Broadband Index rates the states on indicators of broadband adoption, network quality, and economic structure as a way of taking stock of where states stand in broadband deployment and adoption.
Is your state a leader?
TechNet examines the key role that states and policies can play in making broadband available to all Americans. The State of Washington tops the TechNet State Broadband Index, driven by an economy that has a strong orientation toward information and communication technology and apps development.
Massachusetts and Delaware round out the top three states with Massachusetts’ cluster of universities and tech companies and Delaware’s high network quality and concentration of corporate headquarters reliant on broadband connectivity.
Why broadband is important:
- According to Connection Nation, broadband-connected businesses report annual median sales revenues approximately $300,000 higher than revenues for businesses without broadband.
- According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, more than 68 percent of U.S. households today use high-speed broadband access.
- According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, online high school graduates are two times more likely to go to college as those who are not online.
According to the report, the following are the top ten leading states in the nation in the development of broadband infrastructure that is promoting economic development, stronger communities, improved delivery of government services, and upgraded educational systems:
- Washington
- Massachusetts
- Delaware
- Maryland
- California
- New Jersey
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Utah
- New York
For a copy of the full report, case studies and a further description of its underlying methodology, see: www.technet.org/research/ for more information.
Tags: broadband infrastructure, CA, Delaware, economic & social growth, leading states, M&A, MD, NJ, NY., TechNet Broadband study, Utah, VA, Vermont, Washington
Posted in Economic Development, Internet/New Media, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012
 Affdex reads facial expressions using a webcam to help understand how people feel. (Graphic: Business Wire) Are you ready to share not only videos you find interesting, but your emotional reactions to them? You may be able to do just that in the not too distant future. A company that has raised nearly $20 million in venture backing and several National Science Foundation grants is already marketing emotion-reading technologies.
Waltham, MA-based Affectiva has secured $12 million in Series C financing, backed by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing’s Horizons Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) Digital Growth Fund, with participation from existing investors.
The company’s technologies interest marketers and online video makers because it could sharpen their ability to create emotionally effective videos.
Affectiva, an MIT spin-off founded in 2009 by professor Rosalind W. Picard, Sc.D. and research scientist Rana el Kaliouby, Ph.D., has successfully commercialized emotion technologies, including Affdex, an automated facial coding platform and Q Sensor, a wearable biometric sensor.
Building on its momentum in market research, Affectiva will use the new funds to accelerate Affdex development of emotional insights for all forms of online video content, including advertisements, trailers, TV shows and movies.
Will use built-in webcams on laptops
Using the webcam found on laptops, tablets and smartphones, people will watch Affdex-enabled online videos and easily share their emotional experience with friends, family and content providers.
This accurate, scalable emotional insight will also allow content providers to optimize their content with improved relevance, engagement and viral impact, resulting in more user traffic and increased advertising revenue.
“Our goal is to make Affdex a globally ubiquitous tool that enables people to understand and share their emotional experiences online,” said David Berman, chief executive officer at Affectiva.
“While there is tremendous value for online video publishers to better understand consumer engagement with their content, we want to take this even further, so that consumers can see and share their own personal emotional scores.”
Opportunities for marketers
“Capturing and viewing online video has become mainstream. The ability to effectively measure real-time emotion while consumers are watching video has the potential to improve online engagement and satisfaction for users, in addition to creating opportunities for marketers to more effectively determine what consumers care most about,” said Mary Meeker, a partner at KPCB and Internet-industry expert.
The additional financing will also support the continued development for Q Sensor, already in use by hundreds of leading universities and corporations, to collect data and develop meaningful insights for areas such as sleep, anxiety, and stress.
Affectiva is partnering with a number of leading research and commercial institutions on healthcare applications for clinical and consumer health.
Affectiva previously raised $7.7 million from WPP, Myrian Capital and the Peder Wallenberg Charitable Trust, represented by Lingfield AB.
In addition, the company has also won several National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants to further develop the cloud-based Affdex platform for brand managers seeking to optimize ad performance.
As a part of the financing, Frank Meehan at Horizons Ventures will join Affectiva’s board of directors and Mary Meeker, a partner at KPCB, will join as an Affectiva board observer.
Tags: Affectiva, Digital Growth Fund, emotion insight technology, Horizons Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, M&A, Mary Meeker, online video, sharing emotional reactions, venture funding, Waltham
Posted in Internet/New Media, Marketing, Money, Tech life/Culture, venture capital report, video | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
For the eighth year in a row, CEOs rate Texas as the #1 state in which to do business, according to Chief Executive magazine’s annual Best & Worst States Survey, released today.
Florida rose one spot to take the #2 rank, while North Carolina slipped to #3.
Tennessee remained at #4 while Indiana climbed a spot to capture the #5 rank. CEOs named the worst states to do business as California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Michigan.
The Best & Worst States Survey measures the sentiment of CEOs on business conditions around the nation.
For the 2012 survey, 650 CEOs from across the country evaluated the states on a broad range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, educational resources, quality of living and infrastructure. The survey was conducted from Jan. 24 to Feb. 26, 2012.
Louisiana biggest gainer
Louisiana was the biggest gainer in the survey, rising 14 spots to be the #13th most attractive state in the country to do business. The biggest loser was Oregon, which dropped nine spots to #42.
CEOs surveyed said California’s poor ranking is the result of its hostility to business, high state taxes and overly stringent regulations, which is driving investment, companies and jobs to other states.
According to Spectrum Locations Consultants, 254 California companies moved some or all of their work and jobs out of state in 2011, an increase of 26 percent over the previous year and five times as many as in 2009.
“CEOs tell us that California seems to be doing everything possible to drive business from the state. Texas, by contrast, has been welcoming companies and entrepreneurs, particularly in the high-tech arena,” said J.P. Donlon, Editor-in-Chief of Chief Executivemagazine and ChiefExecutive.net.
“Local economic development corporations, as well as the state Texas Enterprise Fund, are providing attractive incentives. This, along with the relaxed regulatory environment and supportive State Department of Commerce adds up to a favorable climate for business.”
Inhospitable business environments mean less jobs, as entrepreneurs and established corporations seek more cost-efficient and tax-friendly locales, said Marshall Cooper, CEO of Chief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. “This survey shows that states that create policies and incentives are rewarded with investment, jobs and greater overall economic activity.”
For complete results, including individual state rankings on multiple criteria, methodology and more, please visitChiefExecutive.net.
| Best 5 States for Business |
Rank 2012 |
Rank 2011 |
| Texas |
1st |
1st |
| Florida |
2nd |
3rd |
| North Carolina |
3rd |
2nd |
| Tennessee |
4th |
4th |
| Indiana |
5th |
6th |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
| Worst 5 States for Business |
Rank 2012 |
Rank 2011 |
| California |
50th |
50th |
| New York |
49th |
49th |
| Illinois |
48th |
48th |
| Massachusetts |
47th |
45th |
| Michigan |
46th |
46th |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
| 2012 Biggest Gainers |
Positions Gained |
| Louisiana |
+14 |
| Mississippi |
+8 |
| West Virginia |
+8 |
| Ohio |
+6 |
| North Dakota |
+6 |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
| 2012 Biggest Losers |
Positions Lost |
| Oregon |
-9 |
| Kentucky |
-8 |
| New Hampshire |
-8 |
| Nebraska |
-7 |
| Minnesota |
-7 |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
Tags: Californian, CEOs rank best states for business, Florida, Ill, Indiana, KY, Lousiana, M&A, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, NC, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, NY., Ohio, Oregon, Texas, TN, W. Virginia
Posted in Carolinas, Economic Development, Economy/Jobs, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee, West Virginia | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
 Nearly half (49%, 115M) of all American adults are Major League Baseball Fans and 15% (36M) are Avid Fans, according to the new Scarborough Sports Marketing study.
The study also reveals that there is ample opportunity to turn young fans into lifelong MLB enthusiasts as 44% of Generation Y are MLB Fans and 13% are Avid Fans. (view infographic).
Mobile, Internet radio and reality TV are ways to reach Gen Y, the study says.
We’re always interested in demographic data such as this – it always has broader implications than the specific data might suggest at first glance. For one thing, it suggests how to reach Gen Y for any reason and which tools would be effective. Digital marketing during baseball games is likely a great way to connect with a chunk of the Gen Y audience, for instance.
“Generation Y makes up 20% of the American adult population – that’s 46 million people,” says Bill Nielsen, Vice President of Sales for Scarborough Sports Marketing.
“Major League Baseball, MLB teams and advertisers understand how critical it is to continue to reach out to this younger demographic in an effective and efficient way, to build long-term affinity for the sport.”
Almost a third (30 percent) of Gen Y MLB Fans are willing to spend $25-$49 on a single game MLB ticket and 12% are interested in purchasing season tickets.
Gen Y MLB Fans are also 37% more likely than all MLB Fans to have bought MLB apparel with a team logo in the past 12 months. Retail spaces also offer an opportunity for fan outreach as more than half (56%) of Gen Y MLB Fans shopped at a sporting goods store in the past three months.
They use mobile, Internet radio, Twitter
Where can Gen Y MLB Fans be reached? They are 54% more likely than all MLB Fans to have used a mobile device to read a newspaper in the past 30 days, 84% more likely to have listened to internet radio in the past 30 days and 22% more likely than all MLB Fans to typically watch reality TV.
Gen Y MLB Fans are more than twice as likely as all MLB Fans to have visited Twitter in the past 30 days, 59% more likely to have read or contributed to a blog in the past 30 days and 68% more likely to have watched video clips online in the same time period.
Gen Y MLB Fans are 131% more likely than all MLB Fans to have visited Hulu.com in the past 30 days and 65% more likely to have visited YouTube.com in the same time frame.
“Generation Y is so active on Twitter and Facebook that any modern marketing campaign is incomplete without a social component,” continues Nielsen. “With youthful initiatives like the MLB Fan Cave in New York City and increased social media efforts, the league, teams and advertisers can reach younger audiences in the spaces where they are most engaged.”
Gen Y MLB Fans can also be found participating in a variety of different athletic and entertainment activities.
Gen Y MLB Fans are twice as likely as all MLB Fans to have played soccer, football or basketball in the past 12 months and 66% more likely to have played softball or baseball in the same time frame. They are also twice as likely to have attended an R&B/Rap/Hip-Hop concert and 49% more likely to have visited a comedy club in the past year.
Gen Y MLB Fans are 23% more likely than all MLB Fans to be Black/African American and 83% more likely to be Hispanic. The top local markets for Gen Y MLB Fans are Milwaukee (76% of Gen Y are MLB fans); Philadelphia (70%); Hartford, C.T. (66%); St. Louis (66%) and Albany, N.Y. (62%).
Looking at the two teams that play in the season opener, Gen Y makes up 21% of the total St. Louis population and 18% of theMiami population. 72% of Gen Y St. Louis residents watched, attended or listened to a Cardinals game in the past year and 36% of Gen Y Miami residents watched, attended or listened to a Marlins game in the same time period.
Top Local Markets for Gen Y MLB Fans
| DMA |
% of Gen Y MLB Fans |
| Milwaukee |
76 |
| Philadelphia |
70 |
| Hartford, C.T. |
66 |
| St. Louis |
66 |
| Albany, N.Y. |
62 |
| Boston |
61 |
| Cincinnati |
60 |
| Syracuse, N.Y. |
57 |
| Providence, R.I. |
57 |
| Minneapolis |
57 |
*Scarborough defines the different American generations as Generation Y (age 18-29), Generation X (30-44), Baby Boomers (45-64) and the Silent Generation (65+).
Tags: Albany, baseball, Boston, Cicinnati, CT, Gen Y, Hartford, M&A, Minneapolis, MO, NY., Philadelphia, Providence, RI, Scarborough Sports Marketing study, St. Lousi, Syracuse, top markets for Gen Y baseball fans
Posted in Best Practices, Digital Devices, Internet/New Media, Marketing | No Comments »
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
 Kevin Colleran, a foundational Facebook employee who developed the initial advertising programs for the social network, is joining Palo Alto, CA-based General Catalyst Partners as a venture partner.
As Facebook’s second-most tenured employee at the time of his departure behind founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Colleran offers tremendous experience for early stage and high growth companies.
In his new role at General Catalyst, Colleran will focus on mentoring young entrepreneurs in early stage investments.“Kevin’s experience monetizing social networks and deep understanding of the consumer experience make him a tremendous addition to our team”
Facebook’s seventh employee
Colleran began his career at Facebook in 2005 as its seventh employee and played a critical role establishing social media as an essential component of every brand’s marketing strategy.
During his tenure at Facebook, Colleran led some of the company’s largest advertising partnerships with companies including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca Cola. His main focus was to help premier brands learn how to evolve their marketing strategies and adapt to the rising popularity of social media. In that role, he helped establish the very first Facebook brand pages for these global icons.
“There’s always been a high volume of talent and innovation coming out of Boston, and there’s been a significant uptick recently. The most recent IPOs of General Catalyst companies like Demandware and Brightcove are proof of that, and I’m especially excited to identify the next great ideas and help develop and nurture them into phenomenal companies,” said Colleran, who will be based in General Catalyst’s Cambridge, MA. office.
Will work with consumer sector firms
In his role as venture partner, Colleran will identify and work with early stage companies in the consumer sector, in addition to serving as a board member and board observer for high growth companies.
Having spent six years at Facebook traveling the world and meeting with brand managers, advertising agencies, and global CMOs he has helped them better understand the new marketing opportunities that social media has to offer.
“Kevin’s experience monetizing social networks and deep understanding of the consumer experience make him a tremendous addition to our team,” said Joel Cutler, managing director at General Catalyst. “We’re excited to have him on board.”
In addition to his experience at Facebook, Colleran brings a lifelong interest in entrepreneurship to his new role. While in high school and college, he won multiple national entrepreneur of the year awards and founded various marketing and Internet-based startups.
After college, Colleran worked as a consultant with BMG Music in NY where he launched a music sponsorship company that focused on artists signed to the Arista and RCA record labels. In 2005 he was recruited to Facebook by Sean Parker, the company’s founding president.
Tags: Boston, Brightcove, CA, Cambridge, Coca Cola, Deamandware, facebook, General Catalyst, Johynson & Johnson, Kevin Colleran, M&A, Mark Zuckerberg, Palo Alto, Procter& Gambel
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, People | No Comments »
Monday, March 5th, 2012
 Updata Partners, a leading technology-focused growth equity firm, says the sale of portfolio company iContact to Vocus for $169 million marks Updata’s third portfolio exit in three months, following the sales of Jobs2Web to SuccessFactors in December for $110 million and Numara Software to BMC in January for $300 million.
The sale represents a 2.7x return on invested capital and a 31% IRR for Updata.“Updata’s contribution was instrumental in iContact’s rapid growth and successful exit. Their strong operational experience and deep understanding of the software-as-a-service model catalyzed our breakout performance.”
In a recent interview, a Novak Biddle venture capitalist told the TechJournal that many large firms are flush with cash and he expects to see increased merger and acquisition activity as firms use M&A to grow. That’s good for the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Updata first invested in iContact in 2007
Carter Griffin, general partner at Updata Partners and iContact Board member said, “The outcome is the culmination of a lot of hard work by Ryan Allis and his team and the positive dynamics of their market. The transaction also serves to reinforce Updata’s strategy of backing high growth technology companies.”
 Research Triangle, NC-based iContact provides email marketing and social media marketing software-as-a-service to small and medium businesses. Updata initially invested in iContact in 2007, providing the first institutional capital.
Since the investment, iContact has grown rapidly and is now the largest privately-held provider of SMB email marketing software. The combination of iContact and Vocus creates the clear leader in cross channel integrated marketing software.
iContact Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Allis, commented, “Updata’s contribution was instrumental in iContact’s rapid growth and successful exit. Their strong operational experience and deep understanding of the software-as-a-service model catalyzed our breakout performance.”
Allis himself has been a strong advocate of “social entrepreneurship” and giving back to the community. He has authored a book about how he made his dream of creating a million dollar company come true — and has exceeded that dream.
For more information, please visit www.updatapartners.com.
Tags: icontact, Jobs2Web, M&A, NC, Novak Biddle, Numara, Research Triangle, Ryan Allis, social entrepreneurship, Updata Partners, Vocus
Posted in Acquisitions, entrepreneurship, Internet/New Media, IT, Money | No Comments »
Thursday, March 1st, 2012
 The University of Southern California at Los Angeles and M.I.T. are the top two schools for studying video game design.
So says The Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com) — one of the nation’s best-known education services companies, which today reported its third annual list naming the schools with the best programs to study video game design.
The new list, “Top Schools to Study Video Game Design for 2012,” recommends 50 schools in all. It names 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate schools in rank order to its respective “top 10″ lists and 22 undergraduate and 8 graduate schools as Honorable Mentions. The Company’s full report on the 2012 list is accessible now at http://www.princetonreview.com/game-design.aspx.
The Princeton Review chose the schools based on a comprehensive survey it conducted in the 2011-2012 academic year of administrators at 150 institutions offering video game design coursework and/or degrees in the United States and Canada.
The survey, which included more than 50 questions, covered a wide range of topics from academics and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and career achievements.
Criteria for The Princeton Review’s school selections covered the quality of the curriculum, faculty, facilities and infrastructure. The Company also factored in data it collected from the schools on their scholarships, financial aid and career opportunities.
The Princeton Review’s top 10 undergraduate schools to study video game design for 2012 are:
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
- The Art Institute of Vancouver (Vancouver, BC)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
- Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH)
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA)
- University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)
- Becker College (Worcester, MA)
The Princeton Review’s top 10 graduate schools to study video game design for 2012 are:
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
- University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
- Southern Methodist University (SMU) (Plano, TX)
- Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
- Univ. of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
Honorable Mentions– Undergraduate Schools (alpha order):
Bradley University (Peoria, IL)
Champlain College (Burlington, VT)
Columbia College Chicago (Chicago, IL)
DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
Ferris State University (Grand Rapids, MI)
Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, NJ)
New York University/NYU POLY (New York, NY)
North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)
Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
Ohio University (Athens, OH)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY)
University of Advancing Technology (Tempe, AZ)
University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD)
The University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX)
Vancouver Film School (Vancouver, BC)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)
Honorable Mentions – Graduate Schools (alpha order):
DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
New York University/NYU Poly (New York, NY)
Parsons - The New School for Design (New York, NY)
Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT)
The University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX)
University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
Visitors to the Princeton Review website area on this list http://www.princetonreview.com/game-design.aspx can access additional information about the schools’ programs and click on links to the schools’ websites.
“Academic and professional programs in video game design studies – from very specialized college majors to highly concentrated graduate degrees – have evolved tremendously over the past 10 years,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s Senior VP/Publisher. “We salute the schools on our list this year for their commitment to this burgeoning field and the innovative programs they offer. For students aspiring to work in this more than $10.5 billion industry and for the companies that will need their creative talents and skills, we hope this project will serve as a catalyst for many rewarding connections.”
The Princeton Review is also known for its annual rankings of colleges, law schools and business schools in dozens of categories which it reports on its website and in its books including The Best 376 Colleges and the recently published book,The Best Value Colleges.
The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University and it is not a magazine.
Tags: Albuquerque, Art Institue of Vanccouver, Becker College, best schools for video game design, CA, Cambridge, DigiPen Institute of TEchnology, GA, LA, M&A, M.I.T., NC, NC State, NM, NY., Plano, Princeton Review, Raleigh, Rochester Institute of Technology, Salt Lake City, Savannah, Savannah College of Art & Design, Shawnee state, Southern Methodist, TX, University of Central Florida, University of Utah, UT, Worcester
Posted in Education, games, Internet/New Media, IT, mobile games, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech Culture, TechLife, video | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
 WASHINGTON, DC – A new study showing that there are now roughly 466,000 jobs in the “App Economy” in the United States, up from zero in 2007.
The study, sponsored by Illinois-based TechNet and conducted by Dr. Michael Mandel of South Mountain Economics, also found that App Economy jobs are spread throughout the nation.
Two-thirds of app economy outside CA and NY
The top metro area for App Economy jobs is New York City and its surrounding suburban counties, although together San Francisco and San Jose together substantially exceed New York. And while California tops the list of App Economy states, more than two-thirds of App Economy employment is outside of California and New York.
The results also suggest that the App Economy is growing quickly and that the location and number of app-related jobs are likely to shift greatly in the years ahead.
“America’s App Economy — which had zero jobs just 5 years ago before the iPhone was introduced — demonstrates that we can quickly create economic value and jobs through cutting-edge innovation,” said Rey Ramsey, president and CEO of TechNet.
Creating jobs in every part of America
“Today, the App Economy is creating jobs in every part of America, employing hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers today and even more in the years to come.”
“The App Economy, along with the broad communications sector, has been a leading source of hiring strength in an otherwise sluggish labor market,” said Dr. Michael Mandel, the report’s author and President of South Mountain Economics and former Chief Economist forBusinessWeek.
“As the technology industry and in particular software evolves, the app economy is becoming a critical new area of development and growth,” says Fred Hoch, President, Illinois Technology Association. “Illinois, with rich resources in data, development, advertising and design, is poised to take a leading role in this newly evolving ecosystem and related job creation.”
The full study, entitled “Where the Jobs Are,” is available at: http://www.technet.org/new-technet-sponsored-study-nearly-500000-app-economy-jobs-in-united-states-february-7-2012/
Top U.S. Metro Areas With Highest Percentage of App Economy Jobs
| |
|
| New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island |
9.2% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont |
8.5% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara |
6.3% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue |
5.7% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana |
5.1% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria |
4.8% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet |
3.5% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy |
3.5% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta |
3.3% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington |
2.6% |
| |
|
Top Ten States for App Economy Jobs (Percentage)
| |
|
| California |
23.8% |
| New York |
6.9% |
| Washington |
6.4% |
| Texas |
5.4% |
| New Jersey |
4.2% |
| Illinois |
4.0% |
| Massachusetts |
3.9% |
| Georgia |
3.7% |
| Virginia |
3.5% |
| Florida |
3.1% |
| |
|
The research shows that when it comes to employment impacts, each app represents jobs — for programmers, for user interface designers, for marketers, for managers, for support staff. Conventional employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are not able to track such a new phenomenon because this economic ecosystem is so new. The research analyzed detailed information from The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) database, a comprehensive and up-to-the-minute compilation of want ads, to estimate the number of jobs in the App Economy.
The total number of Apps Economy jobs includes jobs at ‘pure’ app firms such as Zynga as well as app-related jobs at large companies such as Electronic Arts, Amazon, and AT&T, as well as app ‘infrastructure’ jobs at core firms such as Google, Apple, and Facebook. In addition, the App Economy total includes employment spillovers to the rest of the economy.
Tags: Arlington, Atlanta, Bellvue, Boston, CA, Cambridge, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Freemont, Ill, Joliet, LA, Long Beach, Long Island, M&A, Marietta, Napervillle, New York, Northern NJ, Oakland, Quincy, San Francisco, San Jose, Sanday Springs, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Seattle, Sunyvale, Tacoma, TechNet, top states for app economy jobs, TX, VA, WA
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Monday, January 30th, 2012
 TechStars, recently recognized as the No. 1 startup accelerator in the world, and Microsoft Corp. are working together to help startups fast-track their businesses with free cloud services.
The enhanced program allows TechStars accelerators in Boulder, Colo.; Boston; New York; Seattle; and Texas to offer each of their startups up to$60,000 of Windows Azure compute and storage over a 24-month period, at no cost.
Interviewing entrepreneurs over the last few years for the TechJournal and hearing their pitches at TechMedia’s annual Southeast Venture Conference (next one slated for Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1), we know that the ability to operate via cloud services has enabled many tech startups to launch with much less capital then they needed previously.
Many use Amazon’s cloud, which eliminates the need for them to have significant in house infrastructure. It also makes software that only large Enterprise firms could afford just a decade ago, available to small and medium-sized businesses.
BizSpark Plus is an extension of the Microsoft BizSpark program, designed to accelerate the success of startups around the world. BizSpark Plus works through select incubators and accelerators such as TechStars to provide value-added products and services to high-potential startups.
In addition to offering this to TechStars, Microsoft is making this offer available to all founders whose accelerator is part of theGlobal Accelerator Network, a network of nearly 40 high-quality accelerators from around the world that follow a model similar to TechStars.
“Our passion is helping startups succeed around the world by providing funding and mentorship from the best and brightest Internet entrepreneurs and investors on the planet. The enhanced relationship with Microsoft will allow us to provide our founders with even more valuable support and services,” said David Cohen, founder and CEO of TechStars. “Access to technologies such as Windows Azure and other software and services from Microsoft through the BizSpark Plus program gives our companies a leg up in the all-encompassing race to scale and succeed.”
TechStars has a wealth of experience working with tech startups around the world that are building products and services in the cloud. Cloud applications and smart devices are driving the new startup ecosystem, affording startups the ability to drive user adoption, scale their companies and generate financial returns with far less capital and much more quickly than ever before.
Windows Azure offers a simple, comprehensive and powerful platform for the creation of Web applications and services.
Tags: Boston, Boulder, cloud services, CO, free cloud servicess for startups, M&A, Microsoft, New York, NYC, Seattle, Southeast Venture Conference, Startups, Tech Stars, Texas, Windows Azure
Posted in Cloud, Internet/New Media, IT | No Comments »
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
 Convio, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNVO) has released of its fourth annual ranking of Most Generous Online U.S. Cities. 2011 saw a change at the top with Seattle, WA, earning the #1 spot, followed by Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC finishing second and third respectively as the nation’s most generous large cities based on 2011 online giving data from Convio customers.
The biggest movers in the top ten from the 2010 annual ranking are Seattle rising three spaces to number one; Cambridge, MA falling three spaces from number two to number five; and Ann Arbor, MI moving up three spaces from number nine to number six.
The report ranks the 273 cities with total population of more than 100,000 based on per capita online giving and total amount donated through Convio’s online marketing and fundraising suites.
The average gift size remained steady in 2011 compared to 2010 at $65, as more than $435 million was donated by people who reside in the 273 major cities. The donors in the most generous cities increased their total online contributions by more than 11 percent over 2010.
The 2011 rankings are based on the almost $1.355 billion in total online donations generated through the Convio online marketing and fundraising suite that powers the online efforts of thousands of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations. The current rankings come from donations processed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011.
The top ten most generous large cities (population > 100,000) in 2011, based on per capita giving are:
1. Seattle, WA
2. Alexandria, VA
3. Washington, DC
4. Arlington, VA
5. Cambridge, MA
6. Ann Arbor, MI
7. Berkeley, CA
8. San Francisco, CA
9. Bellevue, WA
10. St. Louis, MO
“According to a May 2011 study by Pew Internet, 96 percent of American adults with annual incomes greater than $75 thousand are online,” said Gene Austin, chief executive officer of Convio.
“The Internet is a key component of a comprehensive, integrated constituent engagement and fundraising strategy. Our 2011 U.S. online giving data reinforces that nonprofits are increasingly leveraging the Internet to generate more meaningful relationships, raise more money and maximize the lifetime value of every individual they touch.”
From a regional perspective based on the U.S. Census grouping of states, the top 25 large cities have the South achieving the #1 spot (three cities in the top ten), followed by the West, then the Midwest and lastly the Northeast. To view the complete rankings of large U.S. cities, visit www.convio.com/onlinecities.
Tags: Alexandria, Ann Arbor, Arlington, Bellevue, Berkeley, CA, Cambridge, Convio, M&A, MI, MO, online giving ranked, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, VA, WA
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