Technicolor SA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010)
This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2011)
This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (December 2010)
This article may contain wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. (November 2011)
Technicolor Inc.
Type Public Company
Traded as OTC Pink: TCLRY
Industry Media Services
Founded Boston, Massachusetts, USA (1914)
Headquarters 1-5 rue Jeanne d’Arc, 92130 Issy les Moulineaux – France
Key people Frédéric Rose, CEO – Remy Sautter, Chairman of the Board
Products See partial offering listing.
Revenue € 3.450 billion (2011)
Net result of € (324) million (2011)
Employees 16,942 (2011)
Website www.technicolor.com
The logo for Thomson SA.

Technicolor Inc., formerly Thomson SA and Thomson Multimedia, is an international provider of solutions for the creation, management, post-production, delivery and access of video, for the Communication, Media and Entertainment industries. Technicolor's headquarters is located in Issy les Moulineaux – France.[1] Other main office locations include Rennes (France), Edegem (Belgium), Wilmington (Ohio, USA), Burbank (California, USA), Princeton (New Jersey, USA), London (England, UK), Rome (Italy), Madrid (Spain), Hilversum (Netherlands), Bangalore (India) and Beijing (China).

On January 27, 2010, the company changed its name to Technicolor, re-branding the entire company after its American film technology subsidiary.[2]

Contents

History [edit]

Technicolor began as Thomson, named after the electrical engineer Elihu Thomson, who was born in Manchester, England, on March 26, 1853. Thomson moved to Philadelphia at the age of 5, with his family. Thomson formed the Thomson-Houston Electric Company in 1879 with Edwin Houston. The company merged with the Edison General Electric Company to become the General Electric Company in 1892. In 1893, the Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (CFTH) was formed in Paris, a sister company to GE in the United States. It was from this company, that the modern Thomson Group would evolve.

In 1966, CFTH merged with Hotchkiss-Brandt to form Thomson-Houston-Hotchkiss-Brandt (soon renamed Thomson-Brandt). In 1968 the electronics business of Thomson-Brandt merged with Compagnie Générale de Télégraphie Sans Fil (CSF) to form Thomson-CSF. Thomson Brandt maintained a significant shareholding in this company (approximately 40%).

Consumer electronics [edit]

In 1982, both Thomson-Brandt and Thomson-CSF saw nationalization due to the efforts of François Mitterrand. Thomson-Brandt was subsequently renamed Thomson SA (Société Anonyme), and soon thereafter merged with Thomson-CSF. GE then sold the rights to make RCA- and GE-branded televisions and other consumer electronics products in 1988 to the French Thomson Consumer Electronics, in exchange for some of Thomson's medical businesses. In 1988 Thomson Consumer Electronics was formed, and then renamed Thomson SA. In 1995, the French government split the consumer electronics from the defense businesses of Thomson Multimedia and Thomson-CSF prior to privatization in 1999. The company then went through a series of transactions, including with Marconi plc, before becoming Thales in 2000. In 2005, Thomson bought Cirpack and Inventel.[3]

After years of hiatus, Thomson Consumer Electronics made a comeback just recently and resumed making electronic consumer products such as large and small household appliances, televisions, audio/video machines including its accessories, digital receivers, phones, lightings, health care, and soon cameras, and video surveillance equipments.[4]

Thomson began making mobile phones including for elderly people[5] [6] [7] and shortly after, that it began to make smartphones.[8]

Exiting the consumer business [edit]

In 2004, Thomson set up a joint venture (TTE) with China's TCL, giving to TCL all manufacturing of RCA and Thomson television and DVD products and making TCL the global leader in TV manufacturing (Thomson still controlled the brands themselves and licensed them to TTE). At the time, TCL was hailed as the first Chinese company to compete on the international stage with large international corporations. Thomson initially retained all marketing of TTE's products, but transferred that to TTE in 2005. In June 2005, the Videocon Group of India announced, that it would acquire the color picture tube manufacturing business from Thomson SA for €240 million. In December 2006, the European subsidiary of TTE closed its operations in France and TTE lost the right to use the Thomson brand on TVs sold in Europe.

In December 2006, Thomson SA agreed to sell off its Audio/Video and Accessories businesses (the RCA and Thomson brands except communications products such as cordless phones) to Audiovox. On October 2007, Thomson SA agreed to sell its consumer electronics audio video business outside Europe including the worldwide rights to the RCA Brand.

Entering the digital video business [edit]

In 2000, Thomson Multimedia purchased Technicolor from Carlton Television (owned by Carlton Communications) in the U.K. and began a move into the broadcast management, facilities and services market with the purchase of Corinthian Television, becoming Thomson Multimedia until 2002 and acquiring the Grass Valley Group. Thomson then purchased the Moving Picture Company from ITV and the internet startup Singingfish, but then sold it to AOL in late 2004. In 2004, Thomson increased its stake in the Bangalore, India based company Celstream Technologies, which specializes in product engineering. Cirpack, a softswitch manufacturer, was incorporated and acquired in April 2005. In July 2005, Thomson agreed to purchase PRN Corporation for $285 million dollars. In December 2005, Thomson re-purchased the Broadcast & Multimedia part of Thales Group.

In September 2005 Thomson first showed its Infinity camcorder. At the April 2006 launch, this was described as "a new line of IT-based acquisition, recording and storage devices."[9] It was designed to end the stranglehold of proprietary products in this market and was inspired by Grass Valley's then VP of Marketing Jeff Rosica's trip to Fry's Electronics in Burbank to buy a computer backup device.[10]

However on January 29, 2009, Thomson announced its intention to sell the PRN and Grass Valley businesses to focus on services business and improve its financial position.[11] This was one of the consequences of an enormous financial crisis in 2009, which forced the company to a total financial restructuring to avoid bankruptcy.[12] From 2010 to February 2011, "Technicolor" (having rebranded itself) divested these sub-businesses: Grass Valley and Broadcast to the Francisco Partners in July and December [13] along with the Transmission business to PARTER Capital Group; Head-end to the FCDE (Fonds de Consolidation et de Développement des Entreprises), and reintegration of PRN.[14]

Re-entering consumer electronics [edit]

After years of hiatus, Thomson Consumer Electronics made a comeback just recently and resumed making electronic consumer products such as large and small household appliances, televisions, audio/video machines and accessories, digital receivers, phones, lighting, health care, and soon cameras, and video surveillance equipment.[15]

Thomson began making mobile phones including for elderly people[16] [17] [18] and shortly after, that it began to make smartphones.[19]

The company is planning to manufacture digital cameras. There is a digital camera made by the company currently being marketed, the waterproof Thomson 5MP Digital Camera.[20][21]

Private equity investment [edit]

On June 20, 2012, Vector Capital won a competitive bid for a minority stake in Technicolor,[22] beating JP Morgan with a surprise, last-minute bid.[23] With the investment of €167 - 191 million, Vector Capital will retain a minority stake in Technicolor of up to 29.94%.[24] Following the deal, on June 21, 2012, Technicolor named Remy Sautter as Chairman of the Board and appointed two Vector Capital representatives to the board, Alexander Slusky and David Fishman.[25]

Organisation [edit]

Executive Committee [edit]

  • Frederic Rose - CEO
  • David Chambeaud - HR, Security, Global Sourcing, Real Estate
  • Béatrix de Russé - IP & Licensing
  • Gary Donnan - Strategy, Technology & Research
  • Vince Pizzica - Corporate Partnerships & Ventures
  • Michel Rahier - Operations Services & Transformation
  • Lanny Raimondo - Entertainment Services
  • Stéphane Rougeot - CFO
  • Michel Vaquin - Marketing & Communications

Business Groups [edit]

Technicolor operates under three main activities servicing a variety of global markets:

  • Entertainment Services: Entertainment Services develops and offers video-related technologies and services for the Media & Entertainment industry. It includes Creative Services (content production, preparation and creation), Film Services and DVD Services (physical media content distribution), Digital Cinema (digital media content distribution) and PRN (Premier Retail Networks.
  • Digital Delivery: Digital Delivery increases the Group's capability to capture the growth resulting from the shift to digital distribution. Hardware & software technologies for delivery platforms.
  • Technology: Technology comprises Intellectual Property licensing, R&D and MediaNavi. The Licensing business is responsible for protecting and monetizing the Group's Intellectual Property portfolio and generates most of the Technology revenues.

Portfolio [edit]

Main

  • The company controls the patents and licensing of the MP3 / MP3HD audio codec
  • Mobile TV
  • IPTV
  • Home Networking
  • Broadcast
  • Professional Video
  • Online Video
  • Out-of-Home Networks
  • Broadcast Networks
  • Media Content Management
  • Content Security

Products & Services

  • Film Production
  • Theatrical Distribution
  • Home Entertainment (DVDs)
  • Television Broadcasting
  • Commercials
  • Game services
  • Broadcast
  • Post Production
  • Professional Video
  • xDSL Modems & Gateways
  • Business xDSL Gateways
  • Home Networking & Accessories
  • Set-Top Boxes
  • Cable Modems & Gateways
  • Telephony
  • Softswitches
  • SmartVision Video Service Platform
  • Distribution & Transmission
  • Tuners
  • Content Tracking and Security
  • Licensing
  • Professional Services

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Legal, About Technicolor". 
  2. ^ Cohen, David S. (January 26, 2010). "Technicolor reinventing itself". Variety. 
  3. ^ http://www.endeavourvision.com/news-n25-more-Thomson+Acquires+Cirpack,+the+European.htm
  4. ^ "Thomson Consumer Electronics". 
  5. ^ "Thomson Consumer Electronics". 
  6. ^ "Thomson". 
  7. ^ "Thomson". 
  8. ^ "Thomson". 
  9. ^ www.videography.com/article/60600
  10. ^ A conversation with John Naylor http://kino-eye.com/kino2/2006/04/28/john-at-infinity/
  11. ^ "Thomson to Sell Grass Valley". tvtechnology.com. January 29, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-29. 
  12. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Technicolor_SA
  13. ^ "PE Firm Makes Binding Offer for Grass Valley". tvtechnology.com. July 27, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  14. ^ http://www.telecompaper.com/news/technicolor-sells-head-end-business-to-fcde-keeps-prn |Technicolor sells head-end business to FCDE, keeps PRN
  15. ^ "Thomson Consumer Electronics". 
  16. ^ "Thomson Phones". 
  17. ^ "Thomson". 
  18. ^ "Thomson". 
  19. ^ "Thomson". 
  20. ^ "Local Scene".  Text " A Breakthrough in Underwater Experience: Thomson Waterproof Camera " ignored (help)
  21. ^ "oo.com.au". 
  22. ^ http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/06/20/vector-capital-beats-j-p-morgan-in-technicolor-wildness/ |Vector Capital beats J.P. Morgan in Technicolor wildness |2012-07-25
  23. ^ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304765304577478870248055052.html |Vector Capital wins Technicolor deal
  24. ^ http://www.technicolor.com/en/hi/about-technicolor/investor-center/investor-news/2012/technicolor-s-general-shareholders-meeting-approves-the-capital-increases-proposed-by-vector-capital |Technicolor's general shareholders meeting approves the capital increases proposed by vector capital
  25. ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/technicolor-chairman-vector-capital-340641 |France's Technicolor gets new chairman, seals deal to sell stake to US firm

External links [edit]

Portal icon Companies portal
France CAC Mid 60 companies of France (June 2012)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Technicolor_SA&oldid=555735853"