Canadian enterprise and mobile communication company, Mitel and a US-based provider of video, voice and content collaboration products, Polycom have announced a deal that will see Mitel acquire Polycom for $1.96 billion.
Under the terms of the agreement, Polycom stockholders will be entitled to $3.12 in cash and 1.31 Mitel common shares for each share of Polycom common stock, or $13.68 based on the closing price of a Mitel common share on April 13, 2016.
The transaction represented a 22% premium to Polycom shareholders based on Mitel’s and Polycom’s “unaffected” share prices as of April 5, 2016 and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, the companies said in a statement.
Rich McBee, Mitel CEO, commented: “Mitel has a simple vision – to provide seamless communications and collaboration to customers. To bring that vision to life we are methodically putting the puzzle pieces in place to provide a seamless customer experience across any device and any environment,”
“Polycom is one of the most respected brands in the world and is synonymous with the high quality and innovative conference and video capabilities that are now the norm of everyday collaboration. Together with industry-leading voice communications from Mitel, the combined company will have the talent and technology needed to truly deliver integrated solutions to businesses and service providers across enterprise, mobile and cloud environments.” added McBee.
While also commenting on the deal, Peter Leav, President and CEO of Polycom said: “Together, Polycom and Mitel expect to drive meaningful value for our shareholders, customers, partners and employees around the world. We look forward to working closely with the Mitel team to ensure a smooth transition and continued innovation to bring the workplace of the future to our customers.”
The combined company will be headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and will operate under the Mitel name while maintaining Polycom’s strong global brand. Richard McBee, Mitel’s Chief Executive Officer will lead the combined organization, while Steve Spooner, Mitel’s Chief Financial Officer, will also continue in that role.
On the closing of the proposed transaction, it is expected that Polycom directors will assume two seats on the Mitel board. Once merged, the combined company will have a global workforce of approximately 7,700 employees according to both companies.
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