Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), a leading global source of critical information and insight, has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the DisplaySearch and Solarbuzz businesses of The NPD Group, Inc., one of the world’s foremost market research companies.
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed within two weeks.
DisplaySearch, founded in 1996, has quickly become a strong player in conducting Asia-based primary research in display technology. It provides market forecasting services, advisory solutions and events to display value chain players around the world. Solarbuzz offers market intelligence, research and forecasting for the solar industry, with a focus on the photovoltaic supply chain.
Together, these two businesses – which will be integrated into the IHS Technology business line – will position IHS as a premier global provider of displays research and as a top provider of solar market information, said Scott Key, president and chief executive officer of IHS.
“DisplaySearch will help give IHS customers a powerful view of the end-to-end display supply chain, from chemicals to semiconductors to displays, and then on through TVs, phones and mobile devices, to operator platforms and content,” Key said. “This acquisition will provide IHS with solid new experience in the displays category and will bolster our capabilities for displays research and analytics in the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.” DisplaySearch will complement other IHS acquisitions of technology industry-related companies in recent years.
Tod Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of The NPD Group said “Sale of the businesses is a strategic decision for NPD, allowing us to focus on global expansion of our retail, distributor and consumer tracking services and on introducing new solutions. We are committed to continued innovation in our core businesses, and as analyst services focused on the supply chain, DisplaySearch and Solarbuzz are less synergistic with our portfolio and less compatible with our long-range vision.”
The DisplaySearch and Solarbuzz teams currently total nearly 70 professionals in six office locations: Austin, TX; Santa Clara, CA; Seoul; Shanghai; Taipei; and Tokyo. More than half of these experts are based in Asia, many in the Greater China market.
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