Gemcom Software International Inc. (TSX:GCM) Gemcom has agreed to be acquired for approximately C$180 million by the private equity groups JMI Equity and The Carlyle Group, who have a strong track record of growing technology companies. Catalyst is the financial advisor to Gemcom. Pending the receipt of shareholder approval, the transaction is expected to be completed in July 2008. Catalyst also provided a fairness opinion on the transaction to Gemcom’s board.

SSISearch Limited, set up as a joint venture between Reed Business Information Ltd and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, is a service provider for the management of authenticated reference data used in payment processing. Having achieved excellent visibility and market position for SSISearch within its chosen market, the JV partners agreed that the company’s potential could best be realised with an owner which could bring its infrastructure, channels and sales force to bear on SSISearch’s proven services, intensifying marketing both domestically and internationally. Catalyst was engaged to find a strategic buyer who could most effectively exploit SSISearch’s unique position as the only source of authenticated settlement reference data in the banking industry, leading to its acquisition by State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT), the world's leading provider of financial services to institutional investors.

Pentland Systems Ltd’s analog signal acquisition systems had been seeded into a number of exciting new programs. In order to exploit its position and fully realise its potential, the company needed to be acquired by a business that would provide the financial strength necessary to support increasingly large orders. Catalyst was engaged to find the right acquirer, resulting in its sale to NYSE listed Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Exchange Systems Technology Ltd, having successfully come through its initial growth stage, needed to have the capability to address the needs of larger clients. The management and investors judged that the time was right for the company to join a larger organisation with greater market reach, to enable the company to continue grow and fulfil its potential. The company engaged Catalyst to find the right partner to take it forward, resulting in its sale to AIM-listed FFastFill Plc. EST’s products met the strategic requirements of FFastFill, complementing its own products perfectly. The sale also enabled FFastFfill to anticipate significant cost savings through the combination of EST’s business with its own.

Artisan Software Tools Ltd, having come through the turbulent post bubble period, had reached a point where it needed change to progress the company further. To this end, the board authorised a management buy in, together with the exit of some existing investors. Catalyst guided and advised throughout this process.

Tenison Technology EDA Ltd, a leading provider of software tools used to help develop system-on-chip (SoC) designs, had received an approach from a company interested in buying them. Tenison engaged Catalyst to manage the proposed sale. Catalyst conducted a review, widened the possible purchaser base with the addition of more interested companies, and completed the sale to ARC International plc.

iOra had seen its unique technologies for providing application acceleration and "offline networking" extensively used in both commercial & defense deployments in the US and Europe. In order to exploit fully significant growth opportunities, iOra sought a buyer to provide greater market reach and complementary products, selecting AIM-listed Corpora plc as its acquirer.

Established in 1996 by Liverpool John Moores University, Telescope Technologies Ltd enabled LJMU to harness the research strengths of the Astrophysics Research Institute, making a breakthrough in astronomical technology. Achieving major success, the time was right for TTL to move into its next phase. Catalyst was engaged to find a partner to take the company forward, resulting in its sale to Las Cumbres Observatory Inc., the US scientific and educational foundation.

Atrium Group Ltd, a leading UK provider of online training and development solutions, retained Catalyst to assist in building channels to market for its products, in order to maximise the potential of its video solutions technology. Atrium has announced it will acquire GBS Corporate Training plc, the acquisition enabling the integration of Atrium’s vcContact multimedia-based e-learning solution with GBS Corporate Training’s in-depth expertise to provide a distinctive blended learning approach for any customer with training

VAI BV the Dutch desktop migration and software distribution specialist, wanted to accelerate its growth in international markets, and engaged Catalyst to find the right partner. Brain Force Holding AG , (public), the Austrian international systems integrator and supplier of IT and telecom solutions, had not been active in the Dutch market. VAI’s strong market position, together with Brain Force’s international presence, made a strong complementary combination.

The board of AM-BEO Ltd, the telecom rating, charging and settlement solutions provider, engaged Catalyst to find a suitable merger partner, in order to accelerate its growth and expand its access to markets. After reviewing a number of potential partners, AM-BEO chose Prime Carrier Ltd as its acquirer.

Ericsson, the world’s largest supplier of mobile systems, engaged Catalyst to help reinforce its strategically important systems integration capability in the French market. Catalyst identified Groupe Audilog, the network systems integration specialist, and initiated discussions which resulted in its acquisition by Ericsson.

Unilog SA, the IT services provider, needed to expand its presence in the UK market, and retained The Catalyst Group to advise on its acquisition strategy. Unilog has now acquired Mezenet Ltd., the Manchester based business intelligence consultancy.

SSA Global Technologies Inc.^TM (SSA GT^TM), a leading global provider of extended enterprise solutions and services, engaged The Catalyst Group to assist with its plans for European expansion. This resulted in their acquisition of Baan Corporation, giving SSA a deeper global presence, greater balance and broader geographical reach.

Catalyst advised Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE:TER) on the divestiture by Teradyne Diagnostic Solutions, Ltd. of Autodiagnos AB, its European aftermarket automotive diagnostics business, to Crypton Technology Group Ltd, a leading UK-based supplier of vehicle diagnostic equipment. Teradyne's Diagnostic Solutions division now focuses exclusively on the vehicle manufacturer market.

The investors and management of Systolix Ltd, a UK-based developer of digital signal processor technology, retained Catalyst to secure routes to market for the company's technology by securing a strategic buyer. We assisted Systolix to negotiate an acquisition of its business by Radioscape Ltd.

Intelligent Environments plc, the UK AIM listed financial e-business applications company, needed to divest its US-based ScreenSurfer web-to-host software tools business. Catalyst identified potential acquirers of the business, and entered into negotiations with two of them. We successfully concluded transactions with both by exploiting the opportunity to sign a source code licensing deal with Mentis International Corp while selling the business to the other, Ives Development, Inc.

Catalyst advised Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE:TER) on the divestiture of its Aerospace/Defense connector and backplane assembly business to Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH). Catalyst was engaged to find a buyer after Teradyne decided to focus exclusively on commercial opportunities for its Connection Systems division.

Peritus Software Services Inc. (OTC:PTUS.OB), retained The Catalyst Group to review its strategic alternatives and to provide financial advice. Following the decision to take the company private through a merger with Rocket Software Inc, Catalyst provided the directors of Peritus with a fairness opinion on the transaction.

CustomerLinx, the Washington, DC headquartered knowledge-based Internet e-customer care company, retained Catalyst to identify, qualify, and negotiate acquisitions in the call centre services market. CustomerLinx has now acquired ETC Data Services, Inc., the Newburgh, NY inbound call centre specialists, in a transaction initiated and structured by Catalyst.

The Shareholders of AMG Systems Ltd, a European supplier of multiplexing equipment for the intelligent transportation systems market, retained The Catalyst Group to find a buyer with access to the North American market to maintain and accelerate AMG's growth. This resulted in the sale of AMG to iMPath Networks Inc. based in Ottawa, Canada, whose strategy, products and technology complemented AMG's own. Catalyst was introduced by Strathdon Investments Ltd, an investor in AMG.

Following another introduction by Strathdon Investments, The Catalyst Group assisted the early-stage internet incubator, Pi Group Ltd to divest its affinity web portal company, Allman Publishing, which was acquired by OFEX-listed e-maleorder.com plc.

SWL Retail Systems Ltd, a leading supplier of innovative solutions for the retail industry, retained The Catalyst Group to locate a purchaser able to maximise the potential of its operational efficiency technology. After evaluating all the major retail software organisations worldwide, Catalyst advised SWL through all the stages of its acquisition by Torex PLC, the London listed retail and healthcare solutions company.

Resolution Group Ltd retained The Catalyst Group to sell its subsidiary Resolution Systems Ltd for maximum value. Catalyst presented Resolution Group with a choice of potential buyers, resulting in the UK systems integrator First Stop Computer Group Ltd acquiring the company.

The Catalyst Group was engaged by Maxima Information Group plc to find a strategic buyer for the EDMS business of its Systems Team subsidiary. The business was acquired by the South African document management company Top Info Technology Holdings, providing Top Info with a platform to launch its UK market entry.

Catalyst went on to advise Maxima on the terms of an MBO of its Systems Team Bristol subsidiary...

...on the sale of its Systems Team Health business to In4tek Ltd, a 3i backed acquisition vehicle...

...and on the sale of its Systems Team Housing business to DePfa IT Services AG, the leading German housing management systems company.

Since assisting ECsoft Group plc in its acquisition of the Dutch IT services company Achilles in 1999, The Catalyst Group continued to work with ECsoft to extend its market reach in continental Europe. The assignment has resulted in the acquisition of DVMB AG, in Solingen, near Düsseldorf in Germany. DVMB provides Information Systems and Service Management (ISM) to medium and large-sized companies in Germany.

The Catalyst Group was retained by Black Bean Studios, Inc. ,a multi-disciplinary design firm located in Boston, to assist in developing its growth strategy. After a decision was made to consider a merger, we initiated and advised Black Bean Studios on its acquisition by Primix Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: PMIX), a strategic Internet services firm.

The Catalyst Group was retained by Avalan Technology, Inc. , a US-based developer and vendor of PC remote control software, to assist in evaluating whether to remain independent or be acquired. We assisted Avalan in successfully negotiating an acquisition by Computer Associates International, Inc.

The owners of Baranof Software, a US-based vendor of messaging management software, chose Catalyst to find a strategic buyer for the company, resulting in the acquisition of the company's assets by Tally Systems Corporation, the US-based developer and vendor of asset management software.

Together with a French affiliate, The Catalyst Group was retained by Alias SA, a French SAP implementation partner, to find a strategic buyer for the company. The assignment resulted in the acquisition of Alias by CMG plc, a leading European IT services company.

The Catalyst Group was retained by the Enterprise NT Business Solutions group of Unisys Corporation to advise on the formation of strategic partnerships for a new security management business initiative. Under the first such relationship, Mosaix, Inc. is providing secure customer interaction systems incorporating Unisys' Single Point Security technology.

CMG plc retained The Catalyst Group to seek complementary acquisitions to accelerate the growth of its business in France. This initiative resulted in CMG acquiring Techside Consultants SA, an advanced technology consultancy based in Paris.

ECsoft Group plc, a leading European IT services company, has retained Catalyst to assist in acquiring complementary businesses. The first such acquisition is Achilles IT Group BV, providing ECsoft with an operating base in the Netherlands.

The Catalyst Group assisted Softbridge, Inc. , a US-based developer and vendor of client/server testing tools for mission-critical applications, to find a strategic buyer for the company, culminating in its acquisition by Teradyne, Inc.

The Catalyst Group acted as advisor to Document Directions, Inc. on its strategic partnership with Merrill Corporation. Merrill, a diversified document management company serving financial, legal, and investment companies and corporate clients world-wide, marketed Document Directions' collaborative authoring product as Merrill TextManager to the financial services industry.

The Catalyst Group advised Lucent Technologies on the evaluation and selection of a strategic partner for a new call centre business initiative. We evaluated the leading candidates from both financial and business perspectives and provided a prioritised recommendation.

The Directors of Software Holdings Limited, a UK-based software investment group, chose The Catalyst Group to advise on the proposed terms of a management buyout of Mystic River Software, Inc., a US-based developer and vendor of embeddable scripting technology for client/server applications. We rendered a valuation opinion on the company, and recommended pricing terms for the transaction.

The Catalyst Group advised the owner and founder of Manager Software Products, an international vendor of meta-data and repository based information management products based in the Netherlands, on its sale to Allen Systems Group, Inc. a US-based vendor of enterprise productivity software.