Datapath Completes ILC Acquisition

Datapath Inc. has completed its acquisition of ILC, a privately held provider of network management software for monitoring, controlling and automating hybrid communications networks, Datapath announced Dec. 1.

The purchase price was $20.7 million, for the equity of ILC and a $5 million payment for outstanding debt. ILC generated revenues of $12 million in 2005, and the company’s customers include DirecTV, Loral Skynet, NBC and PBS as well as the U.S Army, Navy and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"The addition of ILC’s Maxview network management software and expertise increases our competitiveness and underscores our ongoing commitment to integrating best-of-breed commercial technologies that meet our customers’ rapidly evolving communications needs," David Helfgott, president and chief operating officer of Datapath, said in a statement. "Through this acquisition, we will enhance Datapath’s end-to-end communications solutions while better enabling our customers to collect, distribute and act on the information that drives their most critical operational decisions.

"In addition, we will address new market opportunities by introducing Datapath communications networks to ILC’s impressive government and broadcast customer base," he said.

GILT

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and one of the company’s stockholders plan to sell 7 million ordinary shares of stock in an underwritten public offering, the company announced.

In a registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Gilat said it plans to sell up to 4.7 million shares, with another 2.3 million offered by York Capital Management LLC. An option was granted for the underwriters to buy up to 350,000 more ordinary shares from the company and up to 700,000 ordinary shares from York to cover any over-allotments.

Gilat expects to use the proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including working capital.

BSY

BSkyB will pay about 940 million British pounds ($1.25 billion) for a stake of nearly 18 percent in commercial broadcaster ITV, BSkyB announced.

BSkyB said the acquisition has taken place without the prior knowledge of the ITV board of directors, but the operator communicated to the board its intention to be a supportive shareholder. BSkyB said it had no intention of acquiring shares that would result in its stake exceeding 19.9 percent, or making an offer for the whole of ITV’s remaining share capital.

The acquisition comes less than two weeks after its rival, cable operator NTL, announced it was in talks with ITV regarding a possible link-up.