Dayton, Ohio-based Stratacache, a digital signage and content distribution solutions provider, announces the acquisition of what it calls“super majority control”of Scala Inc., a Malvern, Pennsylvania-based provider of end-to-end software solutions for visual communications including digital signage.

Stratacache says the deal combines the largest U.S. digital signage company with the largest international digital signage company and provides significant operational synergies, allowing both firms to deliver enhanced solutions and services to customers across the globe.

“Stratacache's strong balance sheet and large-scale operations will enhance Scala's competitive edge—and Scala's global channels and significant reseller and partner network will fuel Stratacache's growing business outside of the United States,”says a press release announcing the acquisition.

“The acquisition brings significant operational scale and cost advantages to Scala and will directly benefit the Scala dealer channel through Stratacache's commitment to additional channel investment, resources and solutions that will broaden the scope of offerings for the reseller channel,”the release continues.

Lyle Bunn, a digital and place-based media expert and member of Sign & Digital Graphics' technical advisory board, calls the deal“good news for end users, providers of the place-based media and the industry at large.”

“Stratacache's corporate health, deep engineering, operating, analytics and client service in its direct sales model and its experience in serving generally larger deployments of place-based media, is an excellent compliment for Scala with its channel strategy and a base of installations that can reasonably be expected to expand based on astute application of the media and ongoing developments,”says Bunn.“This consolidation of capabilities enables better service of needs on the global stage through the combined strengths of these preeminent suppliers, each of which has been central to digital place-based media application and advancement.

“In Stratacache's augmenting of its direct supply model with supply through channel partners and integrators as used by Scala, Stratacache will move the industry's supply capacities to new levels. Current users of Scala will benefit from a deeper knowledge base and improved corporate stability.”

Bunn goes on to say that when Stratacache has made acquisitions in the past,“(it) has empowered the acquired business unit while allowing them to operate entrepreneurially, bringing subject matter expertise and active support to vertical market clients. It could reasonably be expected that Scala operations will be treated in the same way.”