"I talked to Corum for three years before we went to market. They met our expectations and did a great job. We especially appreciated their ability to reduce stress for us and keep the deal together when things got tough, which did happen. Many sellers don’t realize how important this is . . .you can only do this if you have the kind of experience, relationships, and reputation that Corum has."

Walt Keyes
Future Three

EMC's Acquisition of Data Domain

Market Spotlight Report: "Bucking the Trend –Secrets to a Successful Strategic Acquisition"

To fatigued investors, bankers and analysts, we offer this cure for the recession hangover: a multi-billion dollar return to EMC investors over the next 5 years, based solely on the success of the Data Domain acquisition.

Our view on the Data Domain transaction, based on our financial analysis and discussions with industry sources, concludes that the Data Domain acquisition is a runaway success that offers 3 important lessons for tech M&A. First, that the most successful acquisitions are either market-cycle agnostic or counter-cyclical; second, that they are driven by a highly focused investment thesis (which, not trivially, needs to be sound); and third, that execution and integration are the most important ingredients for success.