DrupalCon London 2011: DRUPAL MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & ALLIANCES

Presented by
Ivo Radulovski
Robert Douglass
PLAIS
Karen Borchert
Drupal is a growing and maturing industry. The typical Drupal business is no longer just a small sole proprietor, trying to make ends meet. There is now a wide range of businesses working with Drupal, from well established large integrators, to well funded venture-backed startups seeking to revolutionize the way websites are built. Mergers and acquisitions in such a landscape are to be expected, and recent history shows that consolidation is already happening.

What are the benefits of a merger?How do you position your company to be acquired? How does the resulting entity get the most value from the deal, and what problems can arise as a result of the merger?

The key principle behind these strategic M&A is that a strong and experienced Drupal providers will buy or merge with a smaller one to create a more competitive or cost-efficient company. Ultimately the companies will come together gaining a greater market share or achieving greater efficiency.

This session will be a panel including several C-level executives from Drupal companies who have recently been through a merger or acquisition.

Recent examples of M&A in the Drupal world:

1.) Companies
Lullabot acquires Rapid Waters Development
Propeople acquires Segments
af83 and Commerce Guys joined forces by creating a new venture dedicated to e-commerce
Hosting Metro Acquires Drupal Value Hosting

2.) Products
Examiner.com acquires NowPublic
Phase2 Technology acquires Open Atrium & Managing News

Intended audience
The intended audience for this session are Drupal shops (small & big ones), business leaders, Drupal experts, project owners, business evaluators, strategy planners, business consultants, & Drupal start-up companies

Questions answered by this session
Which successful examples exist and what are the motives behind Drupal Mergers & Acquisitions?

How can I profit from a Merger, Acquisition or Acq-Hire?

How Drupal companies benefit from economies of scale?

How to create synergy through mergers/acquisition or alliances that makes the value of the combined companies greater than the sum of the two parts?

When is the right time to merge, acquire or form an alliance?

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