Mergers and Acquisitions

Motorola’s Enterprise Business sold for $3.45bn to Zebra Technologies

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15 April 2014

Enterprise asset intelligence company Zebra Technologies said it is acquiring Motorola Solutions’ enterprise business for $3.45 billion in an all-cash transaction.

This is a major move by Lincolnshire, Illinois-headquartered Zebra which has hitherto been known for its RFID and real time location solutions.

The acquisition will be funded through a combination of cash on hand and new debt, the company said in statement. It expects to fund the transaction with approximately $200 million of available cash on hand and $3.25 billion that is fully committed to be raised through a new credit facility and the issuance of debt securities.

The transaction, which was approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

After this acquisition, Zebra will enter the segment where Motorola’s Enterprise business competes and strengthen its position in key industries including retail, transportation and logistics, and manufacturing and serve approximately 95% of the Fortune 500, the company said in its statement.

“This acquisition will transform Zebra into a leading provider of solutions that deliver greater intelligence and insights into our customers’ enterprises and extended value chains,” said Anders Gustafsson, Zebra’s chief executive officer. “The Enterprise business will generate significant value for our shareholders by driving further product innovation and deeper engagement with our customers and partners. It positions Zebra as a leading technology innovator, with the accelerating convergence of mobility, data analytics and cloud computing.”

Why did Motorola sell its Enterprise business arm?

Motorola’s Enterprise business, with approximately $2.5 billion in sales, is an industry leader in mobile computing and advanced data capture communications technologies and services.

“Our Enterprise business is an ideal fit for Zebra,” said Greg Brown, Motorola Solutions chairman and CEO. “This transaction will enable us to further sharpen our strategic focus on providing mission-critical solutions for our government and public safety customers. Upon closing of the transaction, we intend to return the proceeds to our shareholders in a timely fashion.”

Motorola will keep focused on driving continued leadership in mission-critical communications for Government and Public Safety customers. “Last year, we undertook a thorough review of our strategy and concluded that the synergies between our Government and Enterprise businesses were not as great as the value we could create by being singularly focused on our core Government & Public Safety business,” Motorola’s Brown said.

“Going forward, we will have absolute clarity of purpose and mission as we serve customers globally with our suite of mission-critical communications solutions. This business is truly distinctive in its industry leadership, strong pipeline position, long-term track record of consistent profitability and cash flow, and an array of growth opportunities,” he said.

Computerworld

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