Advised Cirpack, a provider of next generation Class-5 voice switching platforms, on its sale to Thomson 
– Cirpack addresses the voice management market. With a wide European customer base of over 45 telecom operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the company has secured the largest share of the European softswitch market
– Created in 1998, Cirpack, a private company based near Paris, employs approximately 60 people and more than doubled its revenues between 2003 and 2004
– Thomson SA provides a range of video technologies, systems, finished products and services to customers in the media and entertainment industries
– The company has three core businesses; Systems, Services and Technology
– Listed on the Paris and New York Stock Exchange, Thomson operates in 30 countries and is actively growing markets in North America, Europe and Asia
– The acquisition will complement Thomson’s existing offering in IP telephony, remote management and access products and gateways for triple play services and will create synergies in terms of customer base, particularly with ISPs and Tier-1 European telecom operators and with telecom operators in North America and Asia
– Upon acquisition Cirpack will form part of Thomson’s Access Platforms & Gateways Business Unit within its Systems & Equipment Division
– The deal follows Thomson’s acquisition of voice and data solution provider, Inventel in March 2005
– Arma Partners was engaged to run a sell-side process for the company
– Positioning the company’s technology and growth potential was key to this successful exit
– Arma Partners’ strong European presence allowed it to advise on this domestic French transaction, in a sector traditionally dominated by US aggregators