Grab Networks In Talks To Sell Off Their Anystream Product Line

Last month, I began hearing rumors that Grab Networks was close to selling off their Anystream product line to another transcoding and workflow solutions vendor. In a call with an executive from the company last week, they confirmed that Grab Networks is in fact in discussions with numerous companies about selling off the business. Anystream is best known for their line of Agility and Velocity products, which are enterprise class transcoding and media management platforms.

I'm told that Grab Networks originally had no interest in selling off the Anystream product line and was not shopping the company until another vendor approached them to discuss the idea. Once that took place, Grab Networks started investigating all possible acquisition angles to gauge Anystream's value in the market.

While the company said they have no deal in place and are still in discussions with multiple interested parties, I'm hearing that Telestream is the leading candidate to make the acquisition, which would make a lot of sense. Anystream's product line would fit nicely into Telestream's and the company has been making a big push lately to expand into the enterprise vertical. If a deal for Anystream is reached, the company suggested it would probably happen this quarter so it could be timed around the NAB show in April.

Comments

[paul small]

Hi Dan,

Do you think Telestream really have the grunt and cash at the moment to do this? Surely people should be look at the likes of Google or Cisco as the natural company to take over especially as Anystream is already in the Cisco CDS. But if you look at the raltionship between Anystream and Cisco with the OEM relationship with Anystream and Anystream intergrated into the Cisco CDS it would save Cisco a ton of money and aquire an interesting arm especially if you include the Cisco take over of tandberg into the mix with their knowledge of encoding technologies.

[Dan Rayburn]

Hi Paul, I think Cisco and others would be a good fit, no question, but Telestream is the name I keep hearing as being in the lead. I don't have any other details other than that and it may not be Telestream that ends up acquiring them in the end.

[TJ Kudalis]

Since Grab was formed by the merger of Anystream and Voxant, would this basically result in Voxant going back to its core syndication business with a cash infusion? What will happen to their MediaOS platform?

[Bob Donlon]

I was an early employee of Anystream (2000-2001) and back then Telestream was the main competition. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[Stephan Koblos]

According to Grab Network's automated answering service, they are now Telestream...