BUSINESS NEWS
13 Aug 08. Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] has acquired the government business unit of Nantero, Inc.. Nantero is a privately-held, Massachusetts-based company that has developed methods and processes for incorporating carbon nanotubes in next-generation electronic devices. Additionally, Lockheed Martin has entered an exclusive license arrangement with Nantero for government applications of Nantero’s extensive intellectual property portfolio. Approximately 30 employees will join Lockheed Martin as part of the purchase of Nantero’s government business unit. Nantero has successfully produced carbon nanotube devices in a commercial semiconductor fabrication process. The company’s government business unit is developing nanotechnology-enabled devices (e.g., memory, logic and sensors) for use in a variety of military and intelligence applications. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center, a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, will manage the Nantero unit. “Lockheed Martin is already a leader in the research, development and application of nanotechnology to future military and intelligence applications,” said Joanne Maguire, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems Business Area. “This transaction represents a solid strategic fit. It provides an important set of capabilities and will accelerate our product applications, enabling us to offer a broader portfolio of solutions to our customers, and to enhance shareholder value.”
11 Aug 08. H-P began a push into workplace Wi-Fi hardware with an acquisition that seems to be aimed at networking giant Cisco. With an agreement to buy Massachusetts-based Colubris Networks Inc., H-P acquired a maker of wireless systems that could make it less dependent on other hardware makers when it goes to work on companies’ wireless networks. “They’re acquiring their own company to start selling their own gear,” says Moe Tanabian, an analyst with IBB Consulting who adds that, now that workplace wi-fi is “coming into the mainstream,” H-P seems to be losing its taste for reselling hardware made by other companies. “It was important to us to have right now,” says Marius Haas, the general manager of H-P’s ProCurve networking division. Mr. Haas says at-work wireless networks, which allow employees to log into a network without plugging a wire into their computers, are becoming increasingly popular in workplaces like hotels and public transportation agencies. “It’s a $1.2bn market, with 25% annual growth,” he says. Mr. Tanabian says that H-P, as a company that’s increasingly services oriented (H-P’s $13.25bn acquisition of services giant EDS is set to close later this month), must have a broad range of services and hardware available for clients who want a variety of different systems, including wireless. H-P didn’t disclose the terms of the deal – Colubris is privately held – but Mr. Tanabian estimates it was less than $100m. (Source: WSJ)
12 Aug 08. Rheinmetall’s H1/2008 performance again improved:
Sales at €1,885m slightly over the H1/2007 figure Defence with marked earnings growth
EBIT up by over €6m to €102m
Net income upgraded by 19 percent to €54m
Earnings per share (EPS) grows by 19 percent to €1.50
Favourable forecast for the full year confirmed
In the first half of 2008, a period overshadowed by economic woes, Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall AG delivered a very good performance. With group sales at €1,885m, earnings again rose. Therefore, the Group confirms its favourable forecast for the fiscal year 2008.
In H1/2008, EBIT at Rheinmetall rose by just over 6 percent to €102m, equivalent to an EBIT margin of 5.4 percent (up from 5.1 percent). EBT improved 11 percent to €76m; net income advanced 19 percent from €46m to €54m. As a consequence, EPS improved from €1.26 to €1.50.
Klaus Eberhardt, CEO of Rheinmetall AG comments: “The first half of 2008 was a very successful period for the Rhei