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Technology Stocks : Harmonic Lightwaves (HLIT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Labrador who wrote (3031)	10/29/1999 11:39:00 AM
From: 2MAR$	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4134

Harmonic's C-Cube Buy Resonates On Wall Street Oct 29, 1999 (Tech Web - CMP via COMTEX) -- C-Cube Microsystems' unexpected $1.7 billion acquisition by Harmonic on Thursday will leave it once again as a pure-play semiconductor company. The primary motivation driving the deal is Harmonic's desireto pull in the strengths of DiviCom, the MPEG encoder subsidiary C-Cube acquired in August 1996 for $65.7 million. Before Harmonic completes the deal and merges with DiviCom, however, it will either spin off C-Cube's semiconductor business to shareholders, or sell it to a high bidder. The transaction is expected to close by the first quarter of 2000. In C-Cube's third quarter, the semiconductor business represented $52.3 million, or 51.6 percent, of the company's $101.4 million in revenue. For all of 1999, the semiconductor business is estimated to account for $210 million, 52 percent of the more than $400 million C-Cube anticipates in revenue. For DiviCom and Harmonic, the vast stretch of common ground that exists between the companies pleased analysts. "It looks like a good deal at the first cut," said Dan Scovel, analyst with Fahnestock & Co., in New York. Harmonic, in Sunnyvale, Calif., already sells video, voice, and data transmission systems for cable, satellite, telephone company, and wireless broadcasters. By folding in Divicom's MPEG encoder products and related technology, Harmonic will add content creation services, as well. The deal "creates a powerful infrastructure company that will be a leading provider of video, voice, and data to the cable, satellite, and terrestrial markets," said Alexandre Balkanski, C-Cube's CEO, during a call with analysts. "DiviCom's expertise in the design of MPEG encoders, aided by the superior encoding technology of our semiconductor silicon company, has driven the digital-video markets. We anticipate these synergies will continue to drive the market." Under the terms of the deal, C-Cube, based in Milpitas, Calif., will retain its more than 500 employees, while 50 to 60 DiviCom employees will join Harmonic's team. Following the sale of Divicom, Balkanski will cede his title to company president Umesh Padval, but will remain on C-Cube's board. Although C-Cube will be independent and retain its own intellectual property, the company will have access to the IP developed by DiviCom through a licensing agreement with Harmonic. C-Cube will treat the combined company as a customer, albeit a close one. Indeed, C-Cube is not being tossed aside. Instead, it will be deeded approximately $150 million in cash for research and acquisitions. During the past five years, C-Cube's gross margins have averaged 57 percent. Both In-Stat and Dataquest named the company the top supplier of MPEG decoder silicon for 1998, though it has also expanded into encoders and codecs to continue its growth. That path will continue, given a deal Harmonic has already signed to continue developing products using C-Cube's silicon, spanning multiple product generations. Balkanski estimated the sales contract will be worth $10 million annually. Copyright (C) 1999 CMP Media Inc. techweb.com -0- * end of story *