Okay, I see your point. My guess is if it is a business with high enough margins, they'll do it. A real world analogy would be the DLJ in the brokerage biz; they have DLJ full service brokerage;DLJ direct for online and they also own Pershing, which is the largest in the world providing clearing services, accounting, financing etc etc to other broker/dealers..
However, I wouldn't look at it as a separate venture necessarily. I think what Ampex has built allows business referrals to be directed to the most efficient and strategically located facilities. Washington DC to TvontheWeb;NYC Ampex NY-West Coast-Ampex LA. What I see is a centrally located(NYC) sales force, marketing and branding generating leads and closing deals for the entire enterprise. I think that is what was attractive to Gardy and Cummings; the ability to not only build their own company out, but to have capital and a national sales force complementing and enhancing their own efforts. They give up some equity in their own venture but share in the equities of multiple enterprises under the Ampex Umbrella...
If Ampex builds large capacity production facilities, they can provide independent producers with web video services. In that context, I'm recalling the InsiderTrader.com report a few months ago, in which Bramson was quoted as saying that for interesting ventures, they would offer production services in exchange for equity.... |
