Smart mobility, social networking and cloud computing boosted technology merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in the UK by 66% to a total of 152 last year, making Britain the second most technology-acquisitive country in the world after Japan, according to research from Ernst & Young.
The UK's private equity (PE) technology market also bounced back, as the number of PE deals increased by 67% compared to 2009.
"In 2010 there was a focus on strategic deals, and in some cases multiple deals in a short period of time, as buyers sought to capitalise on evolving trends and new technologies," said Joe Steger, global and Americas transaction advisory services leader, technology. at Ernst & Young.
The number of global technology M&A deals increased by 41% in 2010 to 2,658, with total deal value up 26% to $119bn (£73.3m).
Total announced private equity deal value reached $19.7bn for 2010, more than double the $9.8bn deal value in 2009.
"All these trends are expected to accelerate, suggesting continued M&A growth in the sector in 2011," said Steger.
Top 10 countries for technology M&A activity:
1) US
2) UK
3) China
4) France
5) Japan
6) Germany
7) Canada
8) India
9) Sweden
10) Australia
