Vitec Multimedia Acquires Focus Enhancements

CHATILLON, FRANCE: Focus Enhancements has been acquired by French video compression specialist, Vitec Multimedia, the companies announced recently. Transaction terms were not disclosed. The deal adds video acquisition and management technologies to Vitec Multimedia’s line-up, and follows its $8 million acquisition of Optibase’s video business.

Focus Enhancements, based in Campbell, Calif., emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, 2009. The reorg involved $2.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing that was to be converted into equity. It was traded on the NASDAQ before filing and subsequently being taken private. The reorganized company employed around 100 people. President and CEO Brett Moyer stayed on.

“Focus has partnered with Vitec Multimedia in the past, and given our successful history, we concluded that the sale of Focus’ Systems Group to Vitec was the right decision,” Moyer said. “We wanted to be sure that current Focus Enhancements video customers and partners would be well taken care of, while Focus’ Semiconductor Group continues to develop solutions for the wireless audio distribution and the TV-out video encoder markets.”

Vitec Multimedia is a relatively small vendor outside of Paris that’s been on a buying spree lately. It doesn’t appear to be part of the London-based Vitec Group, which owns brands such as Nucomm, Litepanels, Sachtler, Vinten, Anton/Bauer and others.

Vitec Multimedia’s acquisition of Optibase’s video division closed July 1.