IAT Multimedia Inc, the Swiss-based personal computer component and configuration specialist, has become an entirely new company over the past year. Its transformation came with the acquisition in 1997 of the German PC distribution company FSE Computer-Handel GmbH & Co. It followed this up in October with the purchase of Columbus Computer Handel, a distributor of PC peripherals in Germany and Austria. It would have tried to become a force in the US too, but a $77m plan to buy distributor Atec Group Inc in August this year collapsed when problems were discovered during due diligence. The overall result is that the IAT of a year ago has now put on some muscle with third quarter revenues up from $122,840 to $8m and losses down from $1.4m to $477,840. IAT has carved out a niche at the high-end of the business and it reportsgrowth in sales of its own Trinology line of high-performance PCs. In addition, IAT has its own videoconferencing technology that it expects to produce a stream of licensing and royalty income next year. Further strategic acquisitions are planned.
