17 เมษายน 2543
Acumen to streamline operations
ACUMEN, an operator of very small aperture terminals (V-Sats), has announced a major operational streamlining after taking over competitor Compunet Corporation.
Acumen has now become the largest V-Sat operator after its parent company, Jasmine International PCL., took over Compunet in a shareswap deal worth Bt100 million.
Jasmine will swap 2.6 million Compunet shares at Bt38.46 apiece for four million of its new ordinary shares at Bt25 apiece, giving the company a 100-per-cent stake in Compunet.
The major customers for V-Sats are banks, broadcasting companies and enterprises in the telecom industry that want to send voice and data to their branches nationwide.
Somsak Padhana-anek, director of Jasmine International, said that after the takeover the company would collaborate on the marketing and operations of Compunet and Acumen to cut costs and boost performance.
"We realise the demand for V-Sat services is declining due to stiff competition from high-speed fibre- optic cable. Therefore, it is better if V-Sat operators unite rather than fight on their own," Somsak said.
After the takeover, Jasmine International will still allow the executive team from Compunet to maintain its management role, Somsak said.
"One of our strategies for survival is to go into the provinces which do not have access to fibre-optic cable and offer discount prices. Then we will stop pouring new investment into the V-Sat business but add some software to the service to improve capacity," Somsak said
He added that Compunet and Acumen would service different markets, Compunet focusing on broadcasting companies, Acumen on the satellite-based, long-distance call market.
Acumen has been awarded a concession by the Telephone Organisation of Thailand while Compunet has been awarded a 22-year concession by the Post and Telegraph Department. Acumen has 100 customers, Compunet 80.
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