ADT has issued and sold in a private placement to Google 54,744,525 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the company, for an aggregate purchase price of $450 million. The shares of Class B common stock issued to Google represent approximately 6.6% of the issued and outstanding common stock of ADT on an as-converted basis. The Company expects to use the net proceeds for further growth initiatives and to reduce debt over time.
The original announcement made at the beginning of August set out the main details of the investment, which will see a close working partnership between Google and ADT, giving Google access to ADTs 6.5 million customer base and its skilled technicians, through which the two will offer Google’s Nest series of products. As a result, Google’s Nest hardware combined with ADT’s professional installation and monitoring service will create a fully integrated set of devices, software and services for the secure smart homes market.
According to Reuters, the investment gives ADT the backing of a high-profile technology partner and broadens its services business and in return, Google strengthens its presence as it competes with Amazon.com’s AMZN.O Ring and Boston-based Simplisafe, among others.
Blake Kozak, Principal Analyst, Smart Home and Security Technology, Omdia, recently published an analysis on the potential short and long term implications of this move and he believes that this equity investment from Google could be the differentiator the industry was looking for to bring a tech company together with an alarm brand. He suggests that this new partnership could be the initial step that disrupts the smart home and alarm monitoring markets.
ADT expects to offer certain Google devices to its customers beginning this year and to expand the integration in 2021. The complete ADT + Google helpful home security solution will utilise a secure platform for a seamless experience that prioritises privacy and interoperability for greater customer peace of mind and choice.
Each company will also commit an additional $150 million, subject to the achievement of certain milestones, to be used for co-marketing, product development, technology and employee training to advance the partnership. These investments are expected to accelerate ADT’s capital efficient growth and drive broader consumer awareness and deeper product innovation for both companies in the fragmented yet rapidly expanding smart home market.
