Vizada Acquisition Prepares Fighting Lines for Next MSS Battleground

by NSR

Cambridge, Mass.,  September 29, 2011- When EADS Astrium announced on August 1 they had purchased Vizada Networks for $960 million, the satellite world was puzzled: why would a satellite manufacturer and mostly government-focused fixed satellite service (FSS) provider buy a mobility centric-business like Vizada? With the Global Xpress contract for three Inmarsat-5 satellites going to rival Boeing, is this deal a way for EADS to get back ‘lost’ revenues? As economic conditions continue to be mediocre at best, is EADS just looking to diversify revenue streams? Whatever the motivation, the EADS acquisition of Vizada Networks begins the saber rattling in the next battle of Ka-band mobility.