Israel Active

(Thanks to EDI) Readers often ask why there are few big Israeli companies. Well here is one that is definitely growing. Magal, which develops cutting-edge perimeter security systems, has just bought another Israeli IT company – WebSilicon, which builds network management devices and systems.

For the fourth year in a row, Israeli hi-tech company NICE systems has been ranked as the global market leader in Speech Analytics by DMG Consulting. NICE holds a 28.3 percent market share and has the largest number of customers. It was also topped the product satisfaction scores.

(Thanks to EDI) Singapore-based MediaCorp has hired Israeli video startup Tvinci to build a new streaming video service called Toggle that will provide live and on-demand access to streaming video content. Toggle will have Video On Demand (VOD) content, plus a dozen channels of live TV available for streaming to customers’ connected devices instead of their TVs.

Israeli firms Delek and Anver signed an agreement to acquire a 30 percent stake in exploration rights for gas and oil off Cyprus's southern shore. Commerce Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis told reporters that the signing provided a "new era of Cyprus-Israeli strategic cooperation which includes economic and political dimensions,"

UK’s Grovepoint Capital has bought Israeli start-up Algatechnologies - manufacturer of AstaPure (astaxanthin) - a powerful antioxidant from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis. Asta Pure is used as a nutritional supplement and component in cosmetics.

The US giant Monsanto has bought the activity of Israeli crop bioengineering company Rosetta Green Ltd – developer of improved genetic strains of wheat, vegetables and other plants such as cotton, biofuels and algae with medical properties.

It may be a day of love and romance for those celebrating Valentine’s Day around the world, but it’s a day of hard work for Israeli farmers. Israel exported some 60 million roses, orchids, Bonsai trees and other flowers to Europe this Valentine’s Day.

Over 45 Israeli wineries took part in the second annual Wine Seven Two kosher wine exhibition in Jerusalem. Israel was the center of wine production in Biblical times and today it is becoming so once more.

Israeli communications company Gilat Satellite Networks has won a contract to supply over 7,000 SkyEdge VSATs in support of the Mexican government's initiative to provide thousands of rural classrooms and government offices with Internet connectivity.

Whilst Baltimore was beating San Francisco, the huge TV screens featured Super Bowl advertising debuts for Israeli drinks maker SodaStream and Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli.