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Microsoft upsets the applecart

Apple lost the title of ‘the most valuable company in the world’ to Microsoft after its fourth quarter revenue failed to meet expectations.
Paul Booth
By Paul Booth
Johannesburg, 02 Nov 2021

Facebook’s rebranding and Apple losing its crown to Microsoft as the USA's most valuable public company dominated the international ICT market last month.

Key local news

  • The Competition Commission has approved the acquisition by Canada’s Volaris Group of Adapt IT.
  • An offer has been made to shareholders of Alaris that, if successful, would see the delisting of Alaris from the JSE.
  • One Thousand & One Voices has picked up a R200 million investment in Digital Ecosystems, an investment holding company that provides integrated technology services to the telecommunications sector.
  • Metrofile has agreed to acquire IronTree Internet Services, which provides data management services, including cloud backup, disaster recovery and specialised server hosting in a private cloud (R140 million).
  • Novomind, a German software developer of customer service solutions, has entered the South African market by establishing a presence in Cape Town.
  • The appointments of new CEOs/MDs at ETS Innovations, MWeb and Workday SA.

Key African news

  • Seacom acquired Hirani Telecom’s metro fibre networks.
  • Digital Realty has unveiled plans to acquire Medallion Data Centres, one of Africa’s leading co-location and interconnection providers.
  • Google plans to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to ensure access to fast and cheaper internet and will back start-ups to support the continent's digital transformation.
  • MTN Uganda has received regulatory approval to list 20% of its shareholding on Uganda's bourse.

Key international news

  • 3D Systems acquired Volumetric Biotechnologies, a biotech company.
  • UK-based Aabyss bought Netcom Technologies, which offers IT support, cyber security, business continuity and modern workplace services.
  • Accenture purchased Advoco, one of the largest systems integrators for Infor EAM, a leading software as a service suite for enterprise asset management; Glamit, a boutique e-commerce agency in Argentina that offers experience design and technology, including e-commerce and platform architecture, brand strategy, digital marketing services and direct-to-consumer solutions; and Xoomworks Group, a consulting and technology company that specialises in procurement technology, digital innovation and software solutions development; and it has agreed to acquire BRIDGEi2i, an AI and analytics firm.
  • Activision bought Digital Legends, a Spanish-based mobile game developer.
  • Alteryx purchased Hyper Anna, a leading cloud platform for generating AI-driven automated insights from data, and Lore IO, a no-code AI-enabled data modelling platform that rapidly deploys analytics that adapt easily within a changing business environment.
  • Alation acquired Lyngo Analytics, a start-up developer of AI-based data intelligence software.
  • UK-based Arrow Business Communications bought the Circle Group, an IT consultancy and solutions provider.
  • Avanade purchased Quantiq, one of the top Microsoft Dynamics systems integrators in the world.

Facebook has rebranded itself as Meta.

  • Centrilogic bought fellow solution provider and MSP 3RP.
  • CloudCoCo purchased IDE Group's loss-making Connect business, which also includes IDE's Nimoveri business, an IT MSP, which it acquired in June.
  • CSG acquired DGIT Systems, a provider of configure, price and quote and order management solutions for the telecoms industry.
  • Cuadrilla Capital bought Agilence, a provider of a retail data management and analytics platform.
  • Databricks purchased 8080 Labs and its low-code/no-code data analysis technology.
  • FactSet acquired Cobalt Software, a portfolio monitoring solutions provider for the private capital industry.
  • Globant bought Argentina-based Atix Labs, a professional services company specialising in the blockchain market.
  • Graphy purchased Spayee, an edtech platform.
  • Help/Systems acquired Digital Guardian, the industry’s only SaaS provider of data loss prevention solutions for large and mid-sized organisations, and PhishLabs, a leading cyber threat intelligence company.
  • Infor purchased Lighthouse Systems, a leading provider of manufacturing execution system software for smart manufacturing.
  • Ingram Micro acquired CloudLogic, a cloud data centre consulting company.
  • inTEST bought most of the assets of Videology Imaging Solutions and Videology Imaging Solutions Europe, a global designer, developer and manufacturer of OEM digital streaming and image capturing solutions.
  • Keysight Technologies purchased Scalable Network Technologies, a leader in communications network simulation and modelling solutions for design, test and analysis, as well as cyber assessment and training.
  • Lumine Group, a division of the Volaris Group, acquired Kansys, a provider of modular billing subscription management, event intelligence and mediation software for communication service providers and tier one enterprise corporations.
  • Microsoft bought Ally.io, a productivity platform that helps improve employee experience by aligning their work to the company's strategic mission and core priorities; Clear Software, a provider of integration and business-process products with an emphasis on SAP and Oracle; and Two Hat, a content moderation provider.
  • NCS, Singtel’s ICT arm, purchased Australian-based Eighty20 Solutions, a cloud security and compliance services company.
  • Ola acquired GeoSpoc, a geospatial services provider
  • One Identity bought OneLogin, a single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and customer identity and access management company.
  • Patria Investments purchased cyber security companies Neosecure and Proteus to create the largest information security platform in Latin America.
  • Paychex acquired Flock, a benefits enrolment and administration, onboarding and human resources information system provider.
  • Paytm acquired CreditMate, a digital lending start-up.
  • PDQ.com bought SimpleMDM, an Apple device management platform.
  • Perion Network purchased Vidazoo, a video technology company that enables both advertisers and publishers to deliver high impact content and advertising to consumers.
  • Procore Technologies acquired LaborChart, a provider of workforce management software for specialty contractors and self-performing general contractors.
  • Raptor Technologies bought CPOMS, the top provider of student safeguarding software to schools in the UK.
  • Riskonnect, a leader in integrated risk management solutions, purchased ICIX, a value chain governance company that empowers businesses to manage, monitor and verify ESG performance.
  • UK-based Sage acquired GoProposal, a provider of proposal management software for small and mid-sized accountancy firms.
  • Sensata Technologies bought SmartWitness Holdings, a privately held innovator of video telematics technology for commercial fleets.
  • Stripe purchased India-based Recko, a payments software firm.
  • SumUp acquired Fivestars, a provider of a payments and marketing platform ($317 million).
  • Sverica Capital Management bought a majority stake in Automated Control Concepts, a systems integrator that specialises in process control, manufacturing intelligence, cyber security and industrial networking.
  • T-Base Communications purchased CommonLook, a provider of software and services that enable electronic document accessibility.
  • Tech Mahindra acquired Lodestone, a digital engineering quality assurance provider for new age digital companies ($105 million).
  • Tetra Tech bought Enterprise Automation, a leader in digital water transformation consulting services.
  • Twitter purchased Sphere, a group chat app.
  • Vonage acquired Singapore-based Jumper.ai, an omni-channel conversational commerce solutions firm.
  • Virtuozzo bought Jelastic, a multicloud platform as a service software company.
  • WidePoint Corporation purchased IT Authorities, a globally ranked MSP, MSSP and cloud services provider.
  • Xerox acquired Competitive Computing (C2), an IT services company.
  • Hungary-based 4iG has agreed to buy a 51% stake in Israel-based Spacecom, a satellite operator.
  • Apple will be hit with an EU anti-trust charge over its NFC chip technology and the risk of a possible hefty fine, which could force it to open its mobile payment system to rivals. It has also lost its crown to Microsoft as the USA's most valuable public company.
  • Applied Data Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire Pinpoint Software, a provider of software solutions driving operational efficiencies and execution for grocers and other retailers.
  • Australia's Aristocrat Leisure will buy London-listed gaming software supplier Playtech (£2.1 billion).
  • Cancom UK&I will start operating under the Telefónica Tech UK&I brand after being acquired at the end of July for €398 million.
  • CDW plans to acquire Sirius Computer Solutions, a services powerhouse ($2.5 billion).
  • CGI will buy Cognicase Management Consulting, a provider of technology and management consulting services and solutions.
  • Cisco plans to acquire Replex, a Kubernetes governance and cost-management start-up with a platform purpose-built for cloud native infrastructure.
  • Cree has changed its name to Wolfspeed.
  • Emerson Electric plans to merge two of its software businesses with smaller rival Aspen Technology in a deal worth about $11 billion.
  • EQT has agreed to sell Spanish telecoms provider Adamo to France's Ardian Infrastructure.
  • Facebook has rebranded itself as Meta.
  • FireEye has changed its name to Mandiant.
  • Fiserv has inked a deal to buy BentoBox, a digital marketing and commerce platform focused on restaurant services.
  • Flex has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Anord Mardix, a leader in critical power solutions.
  • Forcepoint has reached a deal to acquire Bitglass, a cloud security start-up.
  • GN Store Nord will buy Steelseries, a gaming gear company ($1.25 billion).
  • IBM plans to buy the Adobe Workfront consulting unit and assets of Rego Consulting.
  • Softbank-backed InMobi has signed a definitive agreement to acquire London-based Appsumer, a performance insights platform for mobile app advertisers.
  • Insightsoftware has agreed to acquire Magnitude Software, a provider of operational reporting and intelligence for data-driven enterprises.
  • ironSource has entered into an agreement to acquire Tapjoy, a mobile advertising and app monetisation company; and idalgo, a marketing software company.
  • KnowBe4 has entered into a material definitive agreement to acquire SecurityAdvisor, whose technology utilises integrations with over 50 leading vendors in the cyber security ecosystem to identify and correlate human behaviour-driven security alerts generated across each layer of the existing security stack.
  • NetApp has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CloudCheckr, a leading cloud optimisation platform that provides cloud visibility and insights to lower costs; maintain security and compliance; and optimise cloud resources.
  • Nintex, the global standard for process management and automation, has signed a definitive agreement to sell a majority stake to TPG Capital.
  • Ouster has agreed to buy Sense Photonics, a solid-state lidar start-up.
  • Providence Equity Partners has taken a majority stake in Tenstreet, a provider of driver recruiting software and workflow solutions for the trucking industry.
  • Qualcomm and SSW Partners have reached a deal to buy Veoneer, a Swedish automotive technology group ($4.5 billion).
  • Roper Technologies has reached a definitive agreement to divest its TransCore business to Singapore Technologies Engineering, a global technology, defence and engineering group ($2.68 billion).
  • Scientific Games has signed a deal to buy ACS PlayOn, a cashless table game solution.
  • Italy-based SECO has entered a binding agreement to buy German-based Garz & Fricke, an internet of things solutions producer (€180 million).
  • Swedish-based Sivers Semiconductors will acquire MixComm, a millimetre wave semiconductor supplier ($135 million).
  • Smart Global Holdings has rebranded to SGH.
  • Sopra Steria has signed an exclusive negotiation agreement with a view to acquiring the EVA Group, a cyber security firm.
  • Stratasys has acquired all the remaining shares of Xaar 3D it doesn’t already own.
  • Telefonica has agreed to sell its mobile phone unit in El Salvador to General International Telecom ($144 million).
  • Telstra has agreed to buy the Pacific operations of Digicel Group, a telecoms firm ($1.6 billion).
  • TPG has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Nintex, an automation software business.
  • Twitter has agreed to sell MoPub, its mobile ad company, to AppLovin ($1.05 billion).
  • Trustwave has sold its legacy payment card industry compliance business to Sysnet Global Solutions.
  • Verisk has entered into an agreement to acquire ACTINEO, a rapidly expanding international market leader for the digitalisation and medical assessment of bodily injury claims.
  • Zendesk will buy Momentive Global, owner of the popular SurveyMonkey platform ($4 billion).
  • Francisco Partners invested in Paradigm, a market-leading provider of practice management software and integrated payments to the legal industry.
  • Unnamed existing investors made a $2 billion investment in Magic Leap, an AR company.
  • Permira invested in Motus, the premier reimbursement software platform for the anywhere workforce.
  • Rakuten Mobile invested in JTOWER, a Japanese tower infrastructure specialist.
  • Several investor groups made a $250 million investment in Wiz, an Israeli cyber security start-up.
  • Silver Lake made a €709 million investment in Brussels-based Euroclear, a publicly traded provider of data, technology and market infrastructure.
  • Summit Partners made a $625 million investment in Invicti Security.
  • Zoom Video Communications invested in DTEN, a provider of immersive, video-first devices and subscription services.
  • Andreessen Horowitz and Tiger Global Management co-led a $400 million investment in ClickUp, a task management software company.
  • Andreessen Horowitz led a $150 million investment in Sky Mavis, the developer of crypto-based online game Axie Infinity.
  • Insight Partners led an investment in Skyflow, the creator of an API-based data privacy platform that helps companies in sectors such as fintech and healthtech store and manage sensitive customer data.
  • Lightspeed Venture Partners led a $200 million investment in cloud networking specialist Cato Networks.
  • Madrone Capital Partners led a $200 million investment in Aura, a consumer digital security start-up.
  • Oxshott Capital Partners led a $300 million investment in Byju, an edtech company.
  • Poalim Equity and Gil Agmon led a $136 million investment in Hailo, an artificial intelligence-focused Israeli-based chipmaker.
  • Sequoia and Global Growth led a $250 million investment in Rippling, the developer of an employee management platform that helps businesses unify their HR and IT data.
  • SoftBank’s Latin America Fund, Amazon and Accel led a $108 million investment in Pismo, the cloud-native core banking and payments platform.
  • Temasek led a $340 million investment in Orca Security, a cloud security firm.
  • The appointments of new CEOs at Arcserve, Atos, Citrix Systems (interim), GSTechnologies, Insight Enterprises, InterVision, Ivanti, KKR and STL.
  • The death of Tom Richards, an ex-CEO of CDW.
  • Withdrawn IPO filings from Allvue Systems (NYSE) and Lenovo (Shanghai).
  • IPO filings from HireRight GIS Group Holdings NYSE), IX Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq), Rigetti (NYSE), Softline (London and Moscow) and Udemy (Nasdaq).
  • IPOs/listings from AutoStore (Oslo), AvidXchange (Nasdaq), Enfusion (NYSE), Exclusive Networks (Paris), Gitlab (Nasdaq), GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq), Informatica (NYSE), OVHcloud (Paris), The Glimpse Group (Frankfurt), Softline (London and Moscow) and Udemy (Nasdaq).

Research results and predictions

  • Worldwide IT spending is projected to total $4.5 trillion in 2022, an increase of 5.5% from 2021, according to Gartner.

Stock market changes

  • JSE All share index: Up 6%
  • FTSE100: Up 3.1%
  • DAX: Up 3.5%
  • NYSE (Dow): Up 4.3%
  • S&P 500: Up 5.7%
  • Nasdaq: Up 6.4%
  • Nikkei225: Up 0.4%
  • Hang Seng: Up 3.3%
  • Shanghai: Up 0.6%

Look out for

  • The finalisation of the IBM split and the completion of the separation of VMware from Dell.


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