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Ericsson to acquire leading media services company Red Bee Media

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — (Marketwired) — 07/01/13 —

* Acquisition broadens Ericsson-s broadcast services portfolio and
further
expands its capabilities in the TV industry

* 1,500 highly-skilled broadcast services professionals to join Ericsson

* Adding new operations in Europe and Australia

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), a world-leading provider of communications
technology
and services, today announced its intention to acquire Red Bee Media, a
world-leading media services company headquartered in the UK, from an
entity
controlled by Macquarie Advanced Investment Partners, L.P.

The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, supports
Ericsson-s
strategy to grow in the broadcast services market and takes advantage of
its
technology and services leadership to help broadcasters and content owners
address the convergence of video and mobility. It will bring 1,500
highly-skilled employees, as well as media services and operations
facilities in the
UK, France, Germany, Spain and Australia. This will further strengthen
Ericsson-s broadcast services business, which was started in 2007 and
expanded
in 2012 with the acquisition of Technicolor-s Broadcast Services Division.

With 1,240 of Red Bee Media employees being based in the UK, Ericsson-s UK
business would grow to around 4,000 employees and with more than one-third
working in the media services business, the UK will become a global media
hub
for Ericsson.

Since its foundation in 2005, Red Bee Media has established itself as a
strong
and diverse business with a growing number of customers around the world.
It
provides a range of media services; from media asset management to playout
and
digital video publishing, metadata services, multilingual access services
and
creative services to major broadcasters and broadband platforms. Red Bee
Media,
which is known for its high quality playout services, is also the largest
editorial metadata provider in Europe, delivers more than 100,000 hours of
subtitling per year for leading broadcasters.

The Television and Media industry is undergoing an unprecedented
transformation
driven by consumers- appetite for rich, interactive, anytime, anywhere
entertainment. The confluence of communications, broadband and media
technologies and the use of IP and mobile networks to generate and deliver
such
experiences is creating new opportunities in the ecosystem.

New services are expanding and re-defining the way consumers experience
entertainment, placing new economic and creativity demands on businesses –
whether they be broadcasters, telcos or other media companies – worldwide.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report June 2013 release, video is the
single
biggest contributor to traffic in mobile networks and this is expected to
grow
60 percent annually until the end of 2018.

“Ericsson is making a step change to our business, cementing our commitment
to
TV and broadcast services and continuing a journey we started in 2007,”
says
Magnus Mandersson, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Unit
Global
Services, Ericsson. “We can create value for broadcasters by making digital
content more accessible, enabling monetization of TV content more
efficiently.
Video traffic shows very strong uptake in the mobile networks and Ericsson
can
address the need of both broadcasters and telecom operators through our
technology expertise and services capabilities.”

Ericsson-s core capabilities in hardware, software, systems integration and
management/operations services have been deployed worldwide in the
communications and broadband businesses to create success for many players.
Ericsson provides innovative technology solutions for content acquisition,
exchange, distribution, delivery and the provisioning of multi-screen
entertainment experiences based on a 20-year, Emmy award winning heritage
in
media research and development.

Ericsson-s broadcast services expertise makes use of its industry leading
position in managed services and serves leading regional and global
broadcasters
to bring enhanced efficiency into their business operations – being it live
or
thematic content.

Serving one billion subscribers worldwide, Ericsson is the leading provider
of
managed services for telecom operator networks. It has invested in
processes,
methods and tools in this segment for more than 15 years. In recent years,
Ericsson has expanded this successful business model to other industries,
such
as utilities, transportation and the TV industry.

The closing of the acquisition is subject to approval from relevant
regulatory
authorities and other contractual conditions. After completion, Red Bee
Media
will be incorporated into Ericsson-s Business Unit Global Services.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Photo of Magnus Mandersson:

Ericsson-s Mobility Report 2013:

Ericsson-s role in the TV industry – media kit:

Broadcast Services background material:

Read more about Red Bee Media at

Red Bee Media is one of the world-s leading media services companies.
Working
with broadcasters, content owners, platform operators and brands, the
company
blends technology and creative expertise to provide a range of services;
from
playout, multi-platform media management and distribution through to access
services, metadata, content discovery, companion applications, content
marketing
and brand consultancy.

Ericsson-s acquisition of Technicolor-s Broadcast Services Division

Extended partnership with TV5Monde:

Ericsson to manage HBO Nordic-s playout services:

Ericsson to operate TV4 Group-s playout services:

Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at

Ericsson is a world-leading provider of communications technology and
services.
We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions
that
allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable
societies around the world.

Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within
Information
and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries.
Today
40 percent of the world-s mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and
we
support customers- networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscriptions.

We are more than 110,000 people working with customers in more than 180
countries. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
In
2012 the company-s net sales were SEK 227.8 billion (USD 33.8 billion).
Ericsson
is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.

Ericsson to acquire Red Bee Media :

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(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
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Source: Ericsson via Thomson Reuters ONE

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