IntraLinks Observes Third Consecutive Quarter of Double Digit Growth in Deal Activity

NEW YORK, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of the Q4 2009 IntraLinks® Deal Flow Indicator show a 12 percent increase in global M&A deal activity versus Q3 2009, representing the third consecutive quarter of global double-digit growth.  This increase builds on the 10 percent growth witnessed in the two previous quarters, and also demonstrates solid 12 percent year-over-year growth in global deal activity when compared to the Q4 2008.

These fourth quarter improvements can be attributed to a dramatic resurgence in financial sponsor activity, a thawing credit market, and continued stability in the equity markets, all of which combined to help create a more narrow valuation gap between buyers and sellers, and free capital sources globally.  In addition, the buying activity of Venture Capital and Private Equity-backed organizations increased due to more available cash reserves and stronger balance sheets held by larger corporations.

"The fourth quarter increase was witnessed across major regions and industries, and we saw double-digit increases in the number of telecom and media transactions," said J. Andrew Damico, president and CEO of IntraLinks.  "Although deal activity was still lower in 2009 than in 2008, the growth tracked by our Deal Flow Indicator signifies a positive shift."

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100114/NY36768 )

The current deal flow increase was driven by activity across EMEA, North America and Latin America, with EMEA showing a strong 20 percent increase.  Deal activity in North America increased 12 percent and Latin America increased 9 percent from the third quarter of 2009.

IntraLinks has been the leading global provider of M&A virtual datarooms for more than 10 years and is currently involved in nearly half of all global deals valued at more than $25 million.  Most of these deals are active on IntraLinks' virtual datarooms as many as three months prior to being publicly announced.  Issued quarterly, the IntraLinks Deal Flow Indicator is calculated using the total volume of IntraLinks virtual datarooms that were proposed for use by deal teams initiating projects during the previous quarter.  The totals are then analyzed regionally and compared to previous time periods.

Read the Q4 2009 IntraLinks Deal Flow Indicator here. For more commentary on the report, read IntraLinks' blog at blog.intralinks.com.

About IntraLinks

IntraLinks provides on-demand solutions for businesses to securely collaborate communicate and exchange critical information inside and outside the enterprise.  For more than a decade, 750,000 professionals from more than 90,000 organizations have relied on IntraLinks to accelerate workflow, optimize business processes and realize new profit potential.  IntraLinks counts 800 of the Fortune 1000 as clients, including AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and the FDIC. Visit www.intralinks.com or blog.intralinks.com for more information.

SOURCE IntraLinks