Acquisition makes APC a powerful cable player

By acquiring Arris Group’s networking power product lines, American Power Conversion [APC] has developed into a powerful end-to-end cable plant presence.

APC paid $10.25 million for the selected power lines that reside in the outside plant, commonly installed on utility poles or adjacent to fiber nodes and provide back-up power for broadband cable applications. As part of the deal, Arris’ global sales force will serve as an authorized manufacturer’s representative for the acquired power lines.

The acquisition closes a circle for APC, which has cable products in the headend and at termination points.

“What was missing was all the stuff in between,” said Bill Owens, APC’s director of broadband power. “We’re hoping that we can provide an alternative to customers who want quality products for their networks and be able to get it all from one supplier.”

For Arris, the sale marked the end of a product that didn’t quite fit with the company’s other lines.

“It’s not that we don’t want it,” said spokesman Jim Bauer. “We saw it was something that we didn’t have expertise in. We’re a transport company.”

Arris had been working with APC and the sale “just made sense,” said Bauer.

Both Owens and Bauer saw a continued viable market for power supplies, despite the fact that the majority of cable plant has been upgraded.

“The network’s been built out, but it certainly hasn’t been built out with backup power everywhere,” said Owens.