SES Deal Could Give ND SatCom Middle East Boost

[10-10-07 – Satellite Today]  ND SatCom hopes of increasing its revenues in the broadcast markets in the Middle East have been boosted by the announcement that SES Astra has acquired a stake in Glocom, a Dubai-based system integrator and equipment supplier for turnkey digital broadcasting solutions. The deal, announced Oct. 10, will see Zahid Mirza, founder and president of Glocom, remain co-shareholder and continuing in his position as CEO.

ND SatCom generates around 15 percent of its revenues from the Middle East and Africa. Karl Classen, president and CEO of ND SatCom, commented, "Glocom is an established player in the UAE and has implemented a large number of turnkey broadcasting solutions for major broadcasters in the Middle East and Africa. The acquisition allows us to expand our local system integration skills along our value chain in the digital broadcasting and uplink domains and adds a competitive capability for SES in this region.”