Espial to acquire ANT

On-demand TV software specialist Espial is acquiring IPTV technology company ANT.

Espial will acquire all outstanding shares in ANT in a deal that values the company at £5 million (€6.1 million). The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2013.

Espial said it hoped the acquisition would lead to increased revenues and customer base, an expanded customer footprint in Europe, North America and Asia along with additional intellectual property including client and user experience products, technologies and patents.

“Multiscreen video services on set-top boxes, smart TVs, tablets, PCs and smart phones are quickly becoming the new expectation for today’s consumers. Delivering a superior user experience across these devices is a critical element to the success of TV service providers” said Jaison Dolvane, CEO of Espial. “The acquisition of ANT provides Espial with the increased scale, resources and depth of experience to extend our HTML5 market leadership. ANT provides rich expertise in delivering HTML5 user interfaces and applications as well as delivering complex vertically integrated client software solutions. We believe the acquisition of ANT will extend our capabilities to establish Espial as a clear market leader as TV service providers aggressively move to IP video delivery. We’re excited about this combination and are committed to continue working with ANT’s existing customers and partners to ensure their ongoing success”.