Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
It’s no secret that BroadSign’s board have been pondering a software roll-up strategy of some sort for some time now AND have spoken to many digital signage software vendors about merger or acquisition (and of course desperate ones like ComQi have been knocking on their door for some time).
If BroadSign found the right partner or partners this would actually be quite a good thing for them and the industry.
BroadSign are doing pretty well now (it is almost two years to the day that they sought Chapter 11 protection) and probably turn over USD 10 Million or more a year and seemingly pick up new ad based network business almost every month (Airport Partners and Adspace Networks are rumoured to be concluded but officially unannounced concluded deals).
What then to make of the rumour at #dse2014 that Intel – allegedly currently looking around to acquire a digital signage software vendor have been considering BroadSign?
Those we spoke to in the digital signage software industry were rubbing their hands with glee – if an acquisition did happen it wouldn’t be long before BroadSign were out of business – closed down in a few short years just like Intel AIM Suite (nee Cognovision) was recently EOL’ed.
In fact, as Intel’s foray into digital signage software is allegedly pissing off its big chip buyers like Hewlett-Packard, and with a new Intel CEO who has publicly stated that he intends to focus as much as possible on chip making, we wouldn’t take too many bets that Jose’s USD 50 million venture (returning at best USD 3 million a year if that) is closed down before the next DSE comes around in 2015.
February 15th, 2014 at 00:51 @077
If that last statement is true, who will cut the ribbon and allow people to sleep in on opening morning? I did listen to the keynote, and when predictions were made, I asked myself, how many Intel- based smartphones are out there? When i answered my own question, I realized that I was listening to a chipmaker who has missed the biggest explosion of computing power ever tell me about the future. Next year, I’ll go to the alterrnative keynote at IHOP.
I don’t always bash giant multinational powerhouses, but when i do, I prefer Intel.
As for the rumor, how did the Canadian developers do on the Cognovision deal?
February 18th, 2014 at 03:05 @170
I don’t get it… does this mean Intel may already be EOL’ing their RCM software (which was from Ryarc)? Jose and his crew are clearly a reckless and confused bunch. What’s next, a Quividi acquisition?
February 18th, 2014 at 03:12 @175
Ok wait, I think I get it now. Instead of a traditional “divide and conquer” mentality, Intel’s DS strategy is to “acquire and kill”. If they do that enough, there will eventually be nobody to compete with, and they will own the industry!
Jose Avalos is a modern day Sun Tzu!