Digital Signage Acquisitions

Consolidation activity is heating up in the digital signage space.

French Company Thomson to Acquire San Francisco Based PRN Corporation. Story here.
PRN manages in-store television networks in over 6,000 locations across leading retailers including Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Costco, Albertsons; Best Buy and Circuit City. All locations are in North America. The purchase price is approximately $285 million payable in cash, including a normalized level of working capital. This acquisition furthers Thomson's expansion into the implementation and management of video networks. PRN will be part of Thomson's Network Operations Services business unit in the Services Division.

3M to buy Mercury Online Solutions for an undisclosed amount. Story here.
Under the terms of the deal. Mercury will remain headquartered in Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, while reporting to 3M’s Commercial Graphics Division, according to 3M spokesperson Donna Fleming. Fleming sees the acquisition as a way to accelerate the company’s entry into an “exciting and rapidly-growing marketplace”, by combining Mercury’s skills and processes with 3M’s global reach. “The addition of Mercury Online Solutions Inc.’s digital-signage networks is a natural extension of 3M’s existing graphics business and allows us to use our global services platform,” said Robert Doughty, division VP of 3M’s Commercial Graphics Division.