Columbine JDS merges with broadcast management software company

Columbine JDS Systems, Inc. has merged with Enterprise Software, a Colorado Springs-based developer of broadcast management software.

With the merger, Columbine JDS has added 300 more employees to its force, which will now number approximately 1,000 – creating a powerhouse in the broadcast automation market. The transaction was a stock for stock merger – company officials did not disclose the value of the deal.

Enterprise Software – with offices in the UK and Australia, in addition to its US base – is a developer of mission critical software for the broadcast industry. It is the parent company of Enterprise Systems Group, Ltd. and CCMS, which develop broadcast management software systems and integrated media support for television studios, radio stations, cable networks and cable systems.

Barry Goldsmith, formerly CEO of Drake Automation (DAL) will become CEO of the new Columbine JDS Systems (CJDS) which will continue to be based in Denver, CO. Paul Hillyard, formerly Group Finance Director of DAL, will join as Exec. VP Mike Oldham, COO of CJDS and Rob McConnell, CEO of Enterprise will report to Goldsmith.

Columbine JDS's existing customers include television, radio, cable and satellite broadcasters, adverting agencies and rep firms, but Goldsmith clearly sees the merger as an effort to expand the company's customer base and focus into new media.

"The combination of Enterprise, SJDS and DAL creates a powerful force in the current and developing electronic media," says Goldsmith. "It brings with it an expanded customer base to which we can offer a full range of broadcast and cable management solutions and services. It also provides critical mass in terms of size, industry presence and management depth."

Edited by Tom Butts