In early 2017, Vislink Communication Systems was acquired by xG Technology, Inc., the parent company of Integrated Microwave Technologies (IMT), with the goal of merging Vislink’s operations with those of IMT. The acquisition gives the combined IMT/Vislink entity the market-leading position in delivering end-to-end video capture/transmit/receive solutions to broadcast, sports and entertainment, and mission-critical public safety and defense sectors, both in the U.S. and around the world.
IMT and Vislink clients will now have access to an expanded range of product offerings, services and capabilities. This means IMT/Vislink will be able to provide even more ways of helping its clients meet their business and mission challenges, using a best-of-breed approach to identifying and implementing exactly the right solution tailored to the customer’s unique requirements.
In the video below, IMT’s John Payne discusses the team up with Vislink at the NABShow 2017 with Broadcast Beat.
While xG’s intent is to merge Vislink’s operations with those of IMT, the Vislink brand and all legacy brands, including Gigawave, Link, Advent and MRC, will be preserved. IMT has assumed all the Vislink product warranties and will continue to support all the Vislink and IMT product offerings.
Vislink’s business in the Americas will become part of IMT, and their business in the rest of the world will be handled by Vislink’s UK operation. IMT is maintaining all the existing physical facilities around the world, including offices in Colchester and Hemel Hempstead in the UK, Billerica (Massachusetts), Anaheim (California), Singapore, Dubai, and IMT’s newest factory in Hackettstown (NJ).
One of the key benefits of the unification of IMT and Vislink is that there is currently minimal overlap in product offerings, sales channels and market coverage between the two companies. For example, Vislink has a substantial client base in international markets where IMT has had a limited presence. In addition, IMT has a very strong product portfolio targeted to US federal law enforcement and high-end sports broadcasting customers who will now have access to additional solutions based on Vislink’s product configurations. Finally, Vislink has traditional focused on licensed spectrum solutions where IMT has pioneered the use of non-licensed spectrum for many applications.
Combining xG’s shared spectrum and interference mitigation techniques with an expanded IMT/Vislink product lineup will provide an opening into additional customer bases that currently do not have access to licensed spectrum.
The union of the IMT and Vislink entities creates a broad portfolio of products that answer a growing market need for stable, high-definition, wireless video communications. By teaming up, IMT and Vislink will be able to successfully leverage their long broadcast industry leadership positions, reputations for advanced technology, and ability to provide end-to-end-solutions in order to continue providing highly competitive offerings to their clients.
For those unfamiliar with xG Technology, here are some key facts about the company:
• xG Technology is a provider of market-leading wireless video solutions to broadcast, law enforcement and defense markets, and private mobile broadband networks for use in challenging environments.
• xG Technology is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market.
• The acquisition is part of xG’s strategy to provide the broadcast industry with a fully integrated solution for transmitting video data, including Microwave, Satcom, LTE and WiFi technologies.
For more information about Vislink, visit www.vislink.com.
For more information about xG Technology, visit www.xgtechnology.com.