The 5 biggest acquisitions in the history of technology

The technology world is known for its impressive mergers and acquisitions, which often redefine the industry landscape.

In this article, we will explore the five biggest acquisitions in the history of technology, highlighting the values ​​involved, the motivations behind the deals and the impact on the market.

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1. Microsoft e Activision Blizzard

Firstly we have the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which took place in 2023 and had a deal value of approximately $69 billion. Microsoft had already announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2022, and the deal was finalized in 2023 after much effort and with the approval of regulatory authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The main idea of ​​the acquisition for Microsoft was precisely to strengthen its position in the games market, bringing iconic titles such as Warcraft, Call of Duty and Candy Crush to its portfolio. The purchase not only expanded the Xbox game library, but also reinforced Microsoft’s position as a powerhouse in the digital entertainment industry.

2. EMC e Dell

Another major acquisition in the technology world happened in 2016, when Dell purchased EMC for a deal value of $67 billion. This moment became a milestone at that time and to this day is listed as one of the biggest mergers and acquisitions in the technology sector.

This purchase allowed Dell to combine its hardware expertise with EMC’s advanced storage and data management capabilities. Although Dell faced numerous regulatory and legal challenges, including waiting for approval from the Chinese government, the merger ultimately resulted in a stronger, more diversified company. Two years after the deal was completed, Dell returned to the public market, listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

3. AMD e Xilinx

Not long ago, more precisely in 2022, another acquisition also took place that became one of the largest in the technology market, which was the agreement between AMD and Xilinx. This moment represented a strategic step for the two semiconductor companies, which joined forces.

First the value of the deal was valued at $35 billion, but after companies started having to deal with some regulatory complexities, that value rose to $49 billion. But in the end everything worked out, and the deal was made with the aim of combining Xilinx’s leadership in configurable circuits and adaptive computing solutions with AMD’s high-performance CPUs and GPUs, resulting in a more complete technological portfolio and even with more options.

4. Avago e Broadcom

In 2015, Avago announced that it already intended to buy Broadcom, which at the time was an important supplier of semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communication. This agreement took place, but was only finalized in 2016, finally managing to unite Broadcom’s strengths in communications semiconductors with Avago’s expertise in wired infrastructure, wireless communications, enterprise storage and industrial markets.

As a result of the merger, which had a value of $37 billion, the creation of Broadcom Limited, valued at $77 billion, strengthened the new company’s competitive position in the market.

5. IBM e Red Hat

Finally, in fifth place, we have a deal worth $39 billion that took place in 2019. It was IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat, which quickly became one of the largest merger and acquisition transactions in the technology sector.

Red Hat, a global leader in open-source solutions for enterprises, brought crucial expertise in hybrid cloud environments to IBM. The all-cash transaction aimed to combine IBM’s extensive IT and cloud capabilities with Red Hat’s open-source expertise, creating a powerful alliance to drive innovation in enterprise solutions.

Fonte: mnacommunity