If United Scientific really is interested in the simulation business, a quiet word with BET Plc might be worthwhile: Rediffusion Simulation looks very lonely within the BET empire now that all the other computer interests are gone… we wrote in July after United Scientific Holdings Plc followed up its UKP4.3m acquisition of Invertron Simulation Ltd by saying that it wanted the UKP3.3m-a-year company as the basis for a third UKP100m-a-year arm to its business. Yes indeed. On Thursday night, BET put Rediffusion Simulation – UKP9.3m operating profit, UKP113m sales in the year to March, and a UKP200m order book – up for sale. And on Friday afternoon, word came through from the City that United Scientific headed the queue – the suggestion was that it had agreed to sell its Alvis tank division to GKN if its bid for Rediffusion succeeded; Plessey and – controversially – British Aerospace were also believed to be interested.
