An overview of the week in deals in the Irish technology sector, including internet search giant Google’s acquisition of Plink and microblogging site Twitter’s acquisition of Tweetie.
Google shows art of the acquisition by buying PlinkArt
Google has acquired the Irish-incorporated, Oxford-based start-up, Plink, maker of the popular visual search app for Android PlinkArt, for an undisclosed sum. PlinkArt allows mobile users to take a picture of any piece of art and it automatically conducts a search and produces a result. The company’s technology will be utilised by Google to work with its visual search technology Google Goggles which similarly allows users to take a photo on their Android smart phones and it automatically searches for information.
Twitter acquires Tweetie for iPhone
Twitter has acquired popular third-party Twitter client for the iPhone, Tweetie, with plans to rename the app to Twitter for iPhone and make the paid-for application free for download inside the iTunes App Store. Following the acquisition, Twitter will be working closely with Tweetie developer Loren Brichter and a Twitter for iPad app will be following soon. Twitter co-founder Evan Williams cited the reason for the acquisition being that there was no one simple route to tweeting on the iPhone.
Belfast’s Andor Technology buys US firm Photonic
The Belfast-based technology firm Andor Technology, which develops and manufactures global scientific digital cameras, has bought US high-tech company Photonic. Andor is paying US $5m in cash for Photonic and more than 156,000 Andor shares of 2p each. An additional US$1.95m may be payable by Andor if Photonic exceeds certain order targets and product development goals in the 18 months following completion of the deal. Photonic is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of laser and lamp based illumination and ablation systems.
ProStrategy merges with Colman Computer Services
Business software player ProStrategy has merged with IT services player Colman to create a new enterprise computing player that will focus on business intelligence, ERP and the IBM iSeries marketplace in Ireland. The new company ProStrategy Colman will boast combined strengths and experience in providing business operations, management information and decision support systems.
HP completes US$2.7bn acquisition of 3Com
HP has revealed it has completed the acquisition of networking player 3Com for US$7.90 per share, or a cash value of US$2.7bn. HP says it will integrate 3Com’s network switching, routing and security solutions with its existing HP ProCurve solutions, creating a comprehensive portfolio for customers. Combined with HP’s global reach, the expanded portfolio solidifies HP’s Converged Infrastructure strategy, which is built on the integration of servers, storage, networking, management, facilities and services.
