ARRIS Group Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRS) (ARRIS) and Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) (Charter) announced today that they established a joint venture that has agreed to acquire ActiveVideo® for approximately $135 million.
ARRIS will own 65% of the joint venture company and will be the sales channel for ActiveVideo’s CloudTV platform. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of necessary regulatory approvals.
ActiveVideo is the developer of CloudTV™, the only cloud-based software platform enabling service providers, content aggregators, and consumer electronic (CE) manufacturers to rapidly deploy new services by virtualizing consumer premises equipment (CPE) functions in the cloud. CloudTV enables the delivery of next-gen user interfaces, online content, and interactive advertising for TV to millions of set-tops and connected devices. ActiveVideo’s CloudTV platform and proven intellectual property (39 issued patents and 64 pending) will complement ARRIS’s cloud portfolio. ARRIS’s service provider relationships, global reach and installed base of CPE are expected to accelerate adoption of ActiveVideo’s technology.
ActiveVideo’s platform powers Charter’s new fully featured, cloud-based Spectrum Guide. Charter expects to launch Spectrum Guide on Worldbox, as well as on legacy boxes currently deployed within the Charter footprint. ActiveVideo’s global base of customersincludes: Cablevision, Liberty Global, Deutsche Telekom, Time Warner Cable, J:COM, Philips, and Roku.
“This joint venture signifies ARRIS’s continued investment in advanced software solutions that will create value across the entire video ecosystem,” said Bob Stanzione, ARRIS Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to the untold opportunities our extended partnership with Charter will spawn as we march together into the future. ARRIS and Charter are paving the way for an all IP network migration and enabling the software-defined TV experience that will deliver the unified, next-gen content experiences that today’s consumers demand.”
“ActiveVideo’s CloudTV platform is one of the enabling technologies behind Spectrum Guide. We have worked very closely with ActiveVideo on the development of this technology, and now, as a 35% shareholder, are uniquely positioned to support the continued innovation and marketplace adoption of ActiveVideo’s solutions,” said Tom Rutledge, President and CEO of Charter Communications. “Today’s announcement extends Charter’s long-standing relationship with ARRIS, who continues to be a key provider of both infrastructure and consumer premises equipment. We are excited to be partnering with them on this acquisition and to be continuing our collaboration on next-generation platforms.”
Jeff Miller will continue to lead ActiveVideo as CEO. “This joint venture gives us the ability to take ActiveVideo’s vision to the next level by partnering with two industry forces such as ARRIS and Charter. This is a great opportunity to extend the promise of ActiveVideo’s solutions,” said Jeff Miller.
