Cloud, Mobility Fuel Surge in Tech M&A Activity

Merger and acquisition activity within the tech industry is reaching red-hot levels—hitting a two-decade high in deal values, according to recent research findings from PwC. Its report, titled "U.S. Technology Deal Insights," indicates increasing interest in cloud and mobility advancements—as well as those that boost cyber-security—are driving the trend. All sectors saw significant increases in deal values, except hardware and networking, which is going through a transitions as CIOs shift spending priorities to the cloud and software-based IT architectures. Overall, 2014 was a watershed year for tech M&As and prospects look encouraging for the year ahead. "2014 closed with technology deal activity not seen since the dot-com era," said Rob Fisher, U.S. technology deals leader for PwC. "As we consider the almost $350 billion in cash and securities on hand at the top 25 technology companies, record levels of private equity funds waiting to be deployed and projected full pipelines from every angle of the market, 2015 promises to be another active and exciting year for technology M&As." PwC based its research on data compiled by Thomson Reuters, along with additional independent data.