ITV / Friends Reunited

Friends Reunited, the website reuniting old school friends, is to be purchased for GBP120m by ITV, a television broadcasting company.

ITV has also agreed to make a payment of up to GBP55m in 2009, depending on the performance of the website, which has 15m users and is the eighth largest in the UK. Profits for Friends Reunited have increased since the website introduced Internet dating and genealogy services and the purchase is expected to strengthen ITV's online presence substantially.

The website was set up in 2000 by Steve and Julie Pankhurst and their business partner Jason Porter - the couple kept a stake in the business and are expected to receive around GBP30m from ITV's purchase.

ITV hopes to generate new revenue streams from the purchase and plans to link the website with ITV.com in certain areas such as classifieds, dating and recruitment. The Friends Reunited, ITV.com and ITV Local management teams are to be integrated, but Friends Reunited will remain a separate presence on the web.

(c) Internet Business News

WStore/Inmac

Le site marchand WStore, qui, avec 150 salariés et un chiffre d'affaires de 73 millions d'euros, vend à des PME sur Internet des produits allant des câbles aux serveurs en passant par les ordinateurs portables, s'est porté acquéreur, pour un montant non dévoilé, réalisé en cash et par échange d'actions, d'Inmac, spécialiste de la vente à distance de produits informatiques aux entreprises.

Ce dernier, implanté à Paris depuis 1984, affiche 208 millions d'euros de revenus et compte, dans son portefeuille de clients, 980 grands comptes, dont la SNCF ou Total.

Le nouvel ensemble, qui pèsera 280 millions d'euros de chiffre d'affaires et comptera 450 collaborateurs. Ce mariage, qui n'est pas sans rappeler les alliances « click and mortar » des grandes années de l'Internet, renforcera les ancrages respectifs des deux entités sur un marché de la distribution informatique professionnelle estimé par l'institut GfK à 6,1 milliards d'euros uniquement pour le matériel.

(c) Les Echos

Liberty Media / Provide Commerce

Liberty Media Corporation and Provide Commerce, Inc. today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Liberty Media to acquire Provide Commerce, Inc., an e-commerce marketplace of websites for perishable goods marketed under the brands: ProFlowers(R), Cherry Moon Farms(SM), Uptown Prime(R), and Secret Spoon(SM). Under the terms of the agreement approved by both boards of directors, Liberty will pay $477 million in cash, or $33.75 per Provide share.

The proposed transaction is expected to close in the second calendar quarter of 2006. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval, Provide Commerce stockholder approval and other customary closing conditions. Vesting of outstanding options and restricted stock grants will be accelerated and holders of options and warrants will receive cash payments equal to the difference between the cash price per share and the respective exercise prices. JP Morgan Securities Inc. served as financial advisor to the board of directors of Provide Commerce. Following the acquisition, Provide Commerce will remain a separate subsidiary within Liberty.

In connection with the proposed transaction, Jovian Holdings LLC has agreed to vote the shares it owns or controls in favor of the proposed transaction or against any alternative proposal, in addition to other customary agreements. Jovian Holdings owns or controls approximately 29% of the outstanding common stock of Provide Commerce.

As of September 30, 2005 Provide Commerce had a cash balance of $60 million.

(c) PR Newswire