Twitter closes doors in Ghana

The activities at Twitter following its acquisition by Elon Musk dominated the technology market last month in what was a relatively quiet month. 

• Etion plans to delist from the JSE.
• The Huge Group has approved combining Huge Networks and Huge Telecom into one business.
• The IDC, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and Microsoft have backed Vuyani Jarana, a former Vodacom Business chief officer and SAA CEO, who has unveiled llitha Telecommunications, promising affordable internet in underserviced areas.
• Mteto Nyati, the ex-Altron Group CEO, has taken a significant stake (40%) in BSG (Business Systems Group), a South African business and technology consulting company.
• MTN is selling its Afghanistan business to Lebanon-based M1 New Ventures ($35 million).
• Prosus has given away its stake in VK, Russia’s largest social network, thus walking away from a company run by an executive under US sanctions.
• ROX Equity Partners, a UK-based private equity company, has acquired SilverBridge, with the latter becoming the first subsidiary in the newly established Alula Technologies Group, which provides solutions to the insurance and health industries.
• Telkom is exiting the streaming media business and has agreed to “hand over” its TelkomOne platform to the SABC, which will rename it SABC+.
• Word Is Bond, a technology group, has partnered with Germany-based ELO, an enterprise content management company, to enhance its public sector digitalisation project in southern Africa.
• India-based Zoho is to open a second office in South Africa in Q1 2023. It currently has an office in Cape Town.
• Nyari Samushonga, CEO of WeThinkCode, was named the top winner of the IITPSA 2022 President’s Awards, scooping the coveted IT Personality of the Year Award, with Intikhab Shaik, head of technology and solutions delivery at the South African Revenue Service, the other top prize of Visionary CIO.
• The appointments of new CEOs/MDs at Basalt Technology, Broadband Infraco (acting), Cyber1 Solutions and Dax Data and Dolos.

• Ethiopia has reactivated the process of selling a 40% stake in state-owned Ethio Telecom and a separate plan to issue a second full telecommunications licence.
• Twitter’s policies and strategies under its new owner, Elon Musk, include shutting down its only regional office in Ghana.
• Wipro has opened its Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa Strategic Market Unit Headquarters in Dubai, UAE.
• Zimbabwe has launched its first satellite, the ZimSat-1.
• Zoona Transactions International, a Zambian fintech firm and agent-based financial services company, is expected to be sold to Pan-African cross-border payments company Chipper Cash.
• The appointments of new country managers/CEOs/MDs, etc, at IBM, Insight Enterprises and Wipro. 

• Accenture acquired Albert, a Japanese data science company; and the investment through Accenture Ventures in Ketos, a data intelligence innovator that uses a proprietary technology platform to help organisations monitor and address water efficiency and quality.
• India-based Amagi, a media technology company, bought Streamwise, an early-stage data aggregation and reporting platform for content distributors.
• Angeles Equity purchased Data Clean, a contamination control and removal services firm for data centres and other telecommunications facilities.
• UK-based Bechtle acquired ACS Systems UK, a B2B IT solutions provider.
• Cantey Tech Consulting bought Palindrome Consulting, a peer MSP.
• Charles River Associates purchased bioStrategies Group, a consulting firm focused on developing commercial strategies for healthcare products and technologies.
• India-based CitiusTech acquired Wilco Source, a Salesforce consulting and implementation services for healthcare and life sciences companies.
• Datadog bought Cloudcraft, a visualisation service for cloud and system architects to create real-time diagrams of their cloud infrastructures.
• Deloitte purchased SFL Scientific, an award-winning artificial intelligence strategy and data science consulting firm.
• DMI, a digital transformation services provider, acquired the Ambit Group, a fellow MSP specialising in data analytics, cyber security and mission support service to the US government.
• eBay bought TCGplayer, a trusted marketplace for collectible card game enthusiasts.
• EnChoice purchased Rosslyn Data Technologies’ subsidiary company Integritie, a content management and analytics cloud solutions company.
• Globant acquired Australia-born eWave, a digital commerce experience consultancy with strong expertise in Adobe and Salesforce’s commerce solutions.
• Human Security bought Clean.io, a start-up known for anti-‘malvertising’ technology designed to combat viruses inserted into online advertisements.
• IDC purchased ETBS, an IT benchmarking and assessment firm that offers extensive price, service and cost data in over 45 countries.
• Information Services Group acquired Change 4 Growth, a business specialising in transformational change for enterprises.
• Intel 471, the premier provider of cyber threat intelligence for leading intelligence, security and fraud teams across the globe, bought SpiderFoot, a best-in-class provider of open source intelligence, attack surface management and digital investigations.
• Jamf purchased ZecOps, a leader in mobile detection and response.
• Lam Research acquired SEMSYSCO, a global provider of wet processing semiconductor equipment.
• Maxar Technologies bought Wovenware, a provider of comprehensive space solutions and secure, precise and geospatial intelligence.
• On 31 October, Netflix announced it had acquired Spry Fox, a game developer.
• Next Level Services bought Managed Sales Pros, which provides consulting services.
• Opn, a Japan-based payments processor, purchased MerchantE, a US online payment player.
• Partners Group acquired EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, an owner, operator and builder of hyperscale data centres in the US.
• PDFTron Systems bought German-based Eversign, a cloud-based electronic signature innovator.
• Simplilearn, an upskilling edtech platform, purchased Fullstack Academy, a bootcamp education company.
• Tessolve bought India-based Pico2Femto Semiconductor, which is primarily focused on physical design solutions.
• ThreatLocker, an MSP cyber security highflier, purchased Third Wall, the maker of a powerful tool that locks down Microsoft Windows.
• Thrive acquired UK-based Custard Technical Services, an IT support firm.
• Utimaco bought Celltick, a public warning systems provider.
• Vishay Intertechnology purchased MaxPower Semiconductor, a fabless power semiconductor provider dedicated to delivering innovative and cost-effective technologies that optimise power management solutions.
• India-based ZikZuk Technologies acquired Span Across IT Solutions, popularly known as TaxSpanner.com, which offers online preparation and filing of individual income tax returns.
• Zynga’s Rollic bought Popcore, an independent mobile game developer based in Germany.
• AE Industrial has acquired a majority stake in York Soace Systems, which designs and manufactures satellites for low earth orbit.
• GetWirelees has merged with Canada-based Alliance Corporation, a distributor of wireless telecom technology.
• Bill has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Finmark, a leading financial planning software provider that simplifies financial planning and cashflow insights for SMEs.
• Blackstone will buy a 52% stake in India's R Systems International, an IT services company ($359 million).
• Charter Communications and Comcast’s streaming platform joint venture will now operate and conduct business as Xumo.
• Ciena has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tibit Communications and has also acquired Benu Networks, both of which are focused on simplifying broadband access networks through next-generation PON technologies and advanced subscriber management, respectively.
• UK-based Cinven is purchasing TaxAct, which it merged with Drake Software, another portfolio company in the same industry ($720 million).
• CNSI, a leading provider of innovative healthcare technology products and solutions, and Kepro, a leading provider of technology-enabled care management, quality oversight and clinical assessment services, have agreed to merge.
• Cognizant has entered into an agreement to acquire the professional services and application management practices of OneSource Virtual, a Workday partner; and formed an agreement to acquire AustinCSI, a premier digital transformation consultancy specialising in enterprise cloud and data analytics advisory services.
• Dell Technologies has reached a $1 billion settlement of a lawsuit accusing it of short-changing some investors in an approximately $24 billion transaction where it returned to being a publicly traded company.
• DuPont de Nemours has ended its deal to buy engineered-materials maker Rogers Corp.
• EU anti-trust regulators have opened a full-scale investigation into Microsoft's $69 billion bid for "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard.
• Help/Systems has changed its name to Fortra.
• Insignia Capital has agreed to sell its majority stake in digital consultancy WillowTree to Canada-based Telus International ($1 billion+).
• Intrado, a global leader in technology-enabled services, will rebrand the holding company to West Technology Group.
• A US jury has said Intel must pay VLSI Technology $948.8 million for infringing a VLSI patent for computer chips.
• Ireland's data privacy regulator has imposed a €265 million fine on Facebook, bringing the total it has fined parent group Meta to almost €1 billion.
• Lumen Technologies and Colt Technology Services, a digital infrastructure company, have entered into an exclusive arrangement for the proposed sale of Lumen's EMEA business to Colt ($1.8 billion).
• Microsoft faces a new anti-trust complaint over its cloud computing practices as trade group CISPE, whose members include Amazon, took its grievance to European Union anti-trust regulators.
• Australia-based MSL Solutions, a software maker, has agreed to be acquired by Pemba Capital Partners.
• Australia-based Nitro software has agreed to be acquired by KKR’s Alludo ($328.9 million).
• Palo Alto Networks has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cider Security, a pioneer in application security and software supply chain security.
• Powerbridge Technologies has acquired 19% stake of DTI Group, a technology company specialising in international trade digitalisation and platforms.
• PTC has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ServiceMax, a recognised leader in cloud-native, product-centric field service management software ($1.46 billion).
• Sony Music Masterworks, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has made a new majority investment in MAC Global, the award-winning, pan-regional concert promotion, talent management, events and production company based in Dubai.
• Sopra Steria has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire Tobania, a digital consultancy and services company; and formed an agreement to acquire all the shares of CS Group held by the company’s chairman of the board of directors, Yazid Sebag; CEO Eric Blanc-Garin; and their joint holding company, Duna & Cie, comprising around 29.73% of CS Group’s share capital.
• Thomson Reuters will buy SurePrep, a provider of tax automation software and services ($500 million).
• The UK government has ordered Chinese-owned technology firm Nexperia to sell at least 86% of its stake in Newport Wafer Fab on grounds of national security.
• VEON has entered into an agreement to sell VEON’s Russian operations to certain senior members of the management team of PJSC VimpelCom, led by its current CEO Aleksander Torbakhov ($2.2 billion).
• Veriforce, the supply chain risk and compliance management industry’s fastest growing solution provider, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire London Borough of Merton-based Chas, the UK’s leading compliance management solution provider.
• An affiliate of Veritas has agreed to acquire Verisk’s Energy business, Wood Mackenzie ($3.1 billion).
• Vodafone has reached a deal to create a joint venture with GIP and KKR to hold the mobile operator's 82% stake in Vantage Towers, which will also offer to buy the outstanding shares in the tower operator (€6 billion+).
• Xerox has spun out Novity, a start-up founded by Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center that has developed and commercialised industrial predictive maintenance technology.
• Yahoo will acquire a nearly 25% stake in Taboola, an advertising tech firm.
• Zendesk has completed its sale to a group of private equity firms led by Hellman & Friedman and Permira ($10.2 billion).
• The additional investment by Disney in BAMTech, the streaming technology services group that powers Disney+ and the media company’s other direct-to-consumer services, and now owns 100%.
• The $138.4 million investment by unnamed investors in Xiaoice, China’s chatbot developer.
• The investment by Francisco Partners in Glorious, a PC gaming hardware brand concentrated on PC gaming peripherals.
• The investment by HIG Capital in ThoughtFocus, a digital services consultant for customers in higher education, manufacturing and financial services.
• The investment by Norwest Venture Partners in Celebal Technologies, an Indian software consulting and delivery organisation concentrated on AI, data science and enterprise cloud services.
• The $4.1 billion+ investment by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in chipmaker TSMC.
• The $570 million additional investment by Stonepeak in CoreSite, an IT solutions provider.
• The investment by Playtika in Ace Games, a Turkish mobile gaming company.
• The $120 million investment led by BlackRock in Versa Networks, a leading provider of secure access service edge (SASE) solutions.
• The $150 million investment led by Fidelity Management and Research in Astera Labs, the industry leader for connectivity solutions for intelligent systems.
• The $110 million investment led by General Catalyst in Apiiro, a cyber security start-up.
• The $80 million investment led by Georgian and Insight Partners in Contentstack, a content management platform.
• The $100 million investment led by Georgian in Xanadu, a developer of quantum computing technology that uses fibre optics to network photonic chips together.
• The $135 million investment led by Generation Investment Management in Weka, a provider of a cloud-native data platform.
• The $117 million investment led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners in Locus Robotics, an autonomous mobile robot maker.
• The $123 million investment led by Thoma Bravo, Sanabil Investments and Costanoa Ventures in Alation, a company that offers data intelligence to more than 450 enterprise customers.
• The appointments of new CEOs at 8X8, Birlasoft, Gamma Communications, Jabil, Nest DLP, Rigetti Computing, Saga Communications, Salesforce, System1 Group, Team, Teradyne, Visa and Walt Disney.
• IPOs/listings from Blibli (Indonesia), GRINM Semiconductor Materials (China’s Nasdaq-like STAR market), Kaynes Technology (India), KWESST Micro Systems (Nasdaq) and SatixFy Communications (NYSE).

• According to Gartner, IT spending in EMEA is forecast to total $1.3 trillion in 2023, an increase of 3.7% from 2022.
• According to Gartner, global semiconductor revenue is projected to decline 3.6% in 2023.

• JSE All share index: Up 12.7%
• FTSE100: Up 7.5%
• DAX: Up 8.7%
• NYSE (Dow): Up 5.3%
• S&P 500: Up 4.6%
• Nasdaq: Up 3.3%
• Nikkei225: Up 3.2%
• Hang Seng: Up 25.1%
• Shanghai: Up 8.1%

Look out for a new CEO at Twitter, and Coupa Software being acquired by a private equity company.