消費者および企業向けのデジタルセキュリティ製品のリーダーであるAvast Software（以下Avast）は本日、AVG Technologies N.V.（NYSE：AVG、以下AVG）の発行済普通株式の過半数を取得し、初期公開買付期間が完了したことを発表しました。これに伴い、2016年10月3日よりAvastは新会社として事業を開始します。
新生Avastの最高経営責任者（CEO）にはヴィンス・ステックラー（Vince Steckler）が就任し、売上高7億ドル以上の新会社を統括します。今回の統合により、新生Avastは消費者によるインストール数で世界最大を誇り、モバイルや中堅・中小企業向け事業、モバイル・エンタープライズ事業を展開する、フルサービスのセキュリティ企業へと生まれ変わります。株式公開買付が完了した段階で、AVGの最高経営責任者（CEO）であるゲーリー・コバックス（Gary Kovacs）は退任しており、移行期間中は非常勤顧問を務めます。
最高経営責任者のヴィンス・ステックラーは、次のように述べています。「両社のユーザ数を合算すると4億人以上に達しています。これは、中国を除く世界の消費者向けPCの40%以上に相当し、消費者向けセキュリティ製品の導入数では世界最大です。これは国でいうなら、世界第3位の人口に匹敵します。私たちにとって、米国はユーザ数5,800万を擁する世界最大の市場です。私たちは、本当の意味で世界的規模の企業に進化し、世界で最も人気のセキュリティ製品を提供できることを誇りにおもっています。」
「今回の買収により、私たちはより優れたセキュリティ保護を提供するための幅広い技術力を手にすることができました。両社による脅威ラボでは、消費者を狙う新たな脅威の発見と分析に専念するチームを新設する予定です。新たな脅威には、IoTデバイスを標的とするソーシャルエンジニアリングという脅威や、機械学習技術に対抗するランサムウェアが含まれます。オンラインで人々に害をおよぼそうとする集団を出し抜くための充実したリソースが整っています。」
AVGの買収により、新生Avastはより強固にセキュリティを保護します。
今回の買収に伴い、Avastは中堅・中小企業向け事業を拡大するとともに、AVGの強力な販売基盤を加えることで、より多くの、より大規模な企業を支援することができます。さらに、AvastはLocation Labs社とその携帯電話事業も取得しており、同事業への投資と海外進出を計画しています。また、携帯OSのインフラはクローズドな環境にあります。そのため、携帯のセキュリティやプライバシー保護は携帯キャリア側で実装することで、より強化されます。Location Labs社の技術は、クラウドベースのソリューションを顧客に提供し、携帯OS内で発生する非効率性と不安定性を回避します。
Avastは増加し続ける脅威を防御するため、より優れた製品を提供していきます。Avastは今後もAVGとAvastの両ブランドの製品を提供し続けるとともに、双方の製品ラインのすべてのユーザとパートナーをサポートし続けます。
ヴィンス・ステックラーは、次のように続けています。「AVG製品とAvast製品のいずれを利用しているお客様でも、継続してサポートを受けることができますので、ご安心ください。今日の私たちがあるのは、ひとえにお客様とパートナー様のおかげです。」
Avastは今回の買収の結果、初期公開買付期間において、AVGの発行済株式の約87.3%を取得しました。さらにAvastは、現段階で公開買付に参加していないAVG株主に対し、その機会を与えるために追加の公開買付期間を開始したことも発表しました。この追加期間は、延長されない限り、米国ニューヨーク時間の2016年10月14日午後11:59に終了します。追加買付期間終了後、Avastはニューヨーク証券取引所におけるAVGの株式を上場廃止します。
英語のプレスリリース全文はこちらをご参照ください。
On July 29, 2016, Avast Software B.V. and its parent company, Avast Holding B.V., commenced a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG Technologies N.V. at a purchase price of $25.00 per share in cash, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes or other taxes. The initial offering period for the tender offer and withdrawal rights expired at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on September 29, 2016. Based on information provided by the depositary for the offer, a total of 44,543,555 shares, representing approximately 87.3% of the aggregate number of shares outstanding, had been validly tendered and had not been properly withdrawn as of the initial expiration of the offer (excluding 2,809,498 shares, representing approximately 5.5% of the aggregate number of shares outstanding, tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures that have not yet been delivered in settlement or satisfaction of such guarantee). Avast Software B.V. and Avast Holding B.V. have accepted for payment all shares that were validly tendered and were not properly withdrawn from the offer, and payment for such shares will be made promptly in accordance with the terms of the offer.
Avast Software B.V. and Avast Holding B.V. also announced today the commencement of a subsequent offering period scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 14, 2016. Avast may extend the subsequent offering period to provide for a minority exit offering period of up to 10 business days to provide AVG shareholders who have not yet tendered their shares the opportunity to do so. All shares validly tendered during the subsequent offering period will be immediately accepted for payment, and tendering holders will thereafter promptly be paid the same form and amount of offer consideration as in the initial offering period. The procedures for tendering shares during the subsequent offering period are the same as those applicable to the initial offering period, except that (i) the guaranteed delivery procedures may not be used during the subsequent offering period and (ii) no withdrawal rights will apply to shares tendered during the subsequent offering period. As more fully described in the offer to purchase, if the number of shares purchased during the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), together with the shares purchased during the initial offering period, is equal to at least 95% of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG, Avast expects to acquire the ordinary shares of AVG that were not tendered into the tender offer through the compulsory share acquisition process under Section 2:92a/2:201a of the Dutch Civil Code. If the number of shares purchased during the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), together with the shares purchased during the initial offering period, is less than 95% of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG, Avast plans to effect an asset sale pursuant to which Avast will acquire substantially all of the assets, and assume substantially all of the liabilities, of AVG promptly following the tender offer. Following the completion of the asset sale, AVG will be liquidated and the remaining minority shareholders of AVG will receive cash distributions with respect to each ordinary share owned by them equal to the per share cash consideration paid in the tender offer less any applicable dividend withholding tax or any other taxes.
As soon as practicable following the completion of the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), AVG intends to voluntarily delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange. AVG also intends to deregister its shares under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act”) and to suspend its reporting obligations under the Exchange Act, but will only be eligible to do so upon satisfaction of the applicable requirements for deregistration. AVG has submitted written notice to the New York Stock Exchange of its intent to voluntarily delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange in connection with the tender offer. AVG intends to file a Form 25, Notification of Removal from Listing and/or Registration under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to delist its shares promptly following the subsequent offering period. Delisting from the NYSE is expected to become effective 10 days after the filing date of the Form 25. The AVG shares will not be listed or registered on another national securities exchange. Delisting is likely to reduce significantly the liquidity and marketability of any AVG shares that have not been tendered pursuant to the tender offer.
Jefferies International Limited is acting as exclusive financial advisor, and White & Case LLP and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. are acting as legal advisors to Avast. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to AVG, Bridge Street Securities, LLC is acting as financial advisor to the supervisory board of AVG, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Allen & Overy LLP are acting as legal advisors to AVG.
This press release contains forward-looking information that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “are confident that,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target,” “would” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks and uncertainties related to, among other things: general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which Avast and AVG operate; the uncertainty of regulatory approvals; AVG’s delisting from the New York Stock Exchange and suspension of AVG‘s reporting obligations under the Exchange Act and to consummate the transactions and their plans described in this press release; and AVG’s performance and maintenance of important business relationships. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in AVG’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including AVG’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and neither Avast nor AVG assumes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.