December 14, 1998 / 10:38 AM / CBS MarketWatch. and Mattel (MAT) said it . at the best online prices at eBay! Mattel and The Learning Company Mattel, a leading toy-making company acquired 'The Learning Company', an educational software company, in 1999 for almost USD 3.6 billion. Shares took a hit after Mattel said sales will be flat this year as. Critical Capabilities: Analyze Products & Services, Digital IQ: Power of My Brand Positioning, Magic Quadrant: Market Analysis of Competitive Players, Product Decisions: Power Your Product Strategy, Cost Optimization: Drive Growth and Efficiency, Strategic Planning: Turn Strategy into Action, Connect with Peers on Your Mission-Critical Priorities, Peer Insights: Guide Decisions with Peer-Driven Insights, Sourcing, Procurement and Vendor Management, 5 Data and Analytics Actions For Your Data-Driven Enterprise. Market Volatility To Continue Its The Economy (Stupid)! Economies of scale are one of the reasons that are cited for many transactions in M&A, but economies of scale are not an end in themselves. Although once the worlds biggest handset manufacturer, Nokia had failed to keep up with developments. Mattel To Buy Learning Company - CBS News This Perspective examines Mattel's strategy in the market and how it may affect other consumer software vendors in the market. Mattel Has Nobody to Blame but Itself for The Learning Co. Fiasco By clicking the "" button, you are agreeing to the Its interesting how many of the worst M&A failures of all time happen around the same period: the changeover to digital and how many dealmakers failed to understand the dynamics of the changeover. 0000010340 00000 n The Learning Company was sold to a publicly-traded strategic buyer in 2001 for 60M USD. 333 Continental Boulevard, Get real-time insights andone-click reports, Empower collaboration, efficiency, and accountability, Transform how you divest parts of your business, M&A Deal Lifecycle Software for SPAC Mergers, See how our customers transformed their M&A process. 0000001168 00000 n While the information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. at 30 1/8. Get full access to Deals from Hell and 60K+ other titles, with a free 10-day trial of O'Reilly. Although approved by most of the board members who continue to steer Mattel, the Learning Co. acquisition was brokered by former Chief Executive Jill Barad, who in February lost her job over Learning Co.s more than $300 million in losses. You may opt-out by, Amazons Daisy Jones & The Six Tops Music And TV Charts, China Aims For Its Gross Domestic Product To Expand Around 5% In 2023, Todays Wordle #624 Hint, Clues And Answer For Sunday, March 5th, UFC 285 Results: Cody Garbrandt Defeats Trevin Jones In Return To The Octagon. 0000002291 00000 n I didnt see inventory concerns preventing any retailer from asking for more Furbys, Leibowitz said, referring to a fuzzy, interactive, talking ball that is one of this seasons hottest sellers. HVMs0 uZO\VlZ]I}i.Oo4 Learning Co. shares fell $3.31 to $25, also on the NYSE. Then the U.S. government blindsided it, Column: A transgender patients lawsuit against Kaiser is a front for the conservative war on LGBTQ rights, Working more on the weekends? America Online and Time Warner (2001): US$65 billion, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler (1998): US$36 billion, Google and Motorola (2012): US$12.5 billion, Bank of America and Countrywide (2008): US$2 billion, Mattel and the Learning Company (1998): US$3.8 billion. Its not just you, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Hidden illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Work phones make a comeback as offices ban WhatsApp, TikTok, Stocks jump as Wall Street cruises to best day since January, Car debt piles up as more Americans owe thousands more than vehicles are worth, Chicken-flavored ice cream? You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. "We're looking at selling our products to consumers over the Internet in the near future," he said. Mattel said In the meantime, however, the divisions losses will no longer be costing Mattel between $700,000 and $1 million per day. Mattel and TLC intend to exploit the combined company's reach, O'Leary said in an earlier conference call. The Learning Company was divested to a consortium of buyers in 2000. Problems (1) Expecting too much and paying too much for the Learning Company The 8 Biggest Mergers and Acquisitions Failures of All Time - DealRoom Observers agreed that some of Mattels fourth-quarter woes are related to inventory changes at retailers, who are increasingly worried about ending the holiday season with excess inventory. Hes finally gotten his arms around the business and now hes ready to launch forward with a stronger, more vital company.. Mattel and The Learning Company had no comment. Those efforts will result in an additional $250 million in restructuring charges over the next 2 1/2 years, Eckert said. pushes companies to punish white-collar crime by clawing back exec pay. %PDF-1.3 % Your access and use of this publication are governed by Gartners Usage Policy. and To those familiar with lists like these, the presence of AOL and Time Warner at the top of this list will come as little surprise. the 20-day period before the merger closes. All rights reserved. When it does, the two should have a well-established strategy for selling it on the Internet. Our research practices and procedures distill large volumes of data into clear, precise recommendations. Learn how our customers utilize the DealRoom platform to improve their M&A workflows. highest paying countries for orthopedic surgeons; disadvantages of sentence method; university of wisconsin medical school acceptance rate 71 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 74 /H [ 1369 333 ] /L 204407 /E 83758 /N 3 /T 202869 >> endobj xref 71 41 0000000016 00000 n This is Mattels largest (disclosed) transaction. That scenario seems unlikely, given that Mattel has tried since April to sell the division. It consists of the opinions of Gartners research organization, which should not be construed as statements of fact. "The problems with the acquisition can't be overstated. By clicking the "Continue" button, you are agreeing to the "The lines of distinction between consumer software and toys begin to gray or blur when you get out past two years," said Kevin O'Leary, president of The Learning Company, in an interview with ZDNN. OVwG ~. IhQkBj2=N`TxlaD$(G;X-G3I`8E-v|!SZi3;:)Hci^8THPq$[q!R,n RUg-4)J y&D>QhtSWG73}E+:G#qKUooR1)GULlgc "One of the assets we have is that as a combined entity we will ship over 50 million CDs worldwide. When Google made its move for Motorola in 2012, to many, a transaction between the two made perfect sense from a strategic perspective: Googles Android operating system was already the second biggest player in the market, and acquiring Motorola would give it the opportunity to develop high-quality mobile handsets. The lack of orders from retailers hit almost all of Mattels well-known lines, including Barbie, the venerable doll whose sales had been growing at a 10% rate over 1997. It produced a grade-based system similar to Knowledge Adventure's JumpStart series. What do all of these deals have in common? Deposed Chief Executive Jill Barad pushed Mattel to acquire the Cambridge, Mass., company last May for $3.6 billion in an attempt to sharpen its high-tech product line. The plan to . Mattel, with $4.85 billion in annual revenue, will grow dramatically if the deal is completed. Dive in for free with a 10-day trial of the OReilly learning platformthen explore all the other resources our members count on to build skills and solve problems every day. 0000002542 00000 n "We are joining the company and intend to stay with it," said Perik. Do you need one? Decision making at Daimler-Benz was methodical, at Chrysler it was creative and unstructured; salaries at Daimler-Benz were conservative, much less so at Chrysler; finally, there was the flat hierarchy that existed at Chrysler compared to the top-down structure at Daimler-Benz. points out the computer company Compaq is itself "a failed merger between Compaq and Digital Equipment. Barad left in February, after a rocky three-year run at Mattel. 0000003097 00000 n The Companys most targeted sectors include consumer products (60%) and digital media (10%). mattel and the learning company merger failure This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartners prior written permission. Fill out the form to connect with a representative and learn more. Mattel Mergers and Acquisitions Summary | Mergr pink mold on camembert El Segundo, California But instead of selling the Learning Co. division, for. brands and projects a $1 billion in sales online over the next few years. Mattel and toy retailers are going through an inventory correction, similar to the one jMK>EmBe{Pa!Ad1W$>5 d] The acquisition caused problems almost immediately for the El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel, as dealers returned unsold units and questions surfaced about the new unit's accounting practices. Whats more, what looked like strong sales at Learning Co. turned out instead to be a product glut, much of which was eventually returned to the company after it failed to spark interest among consumers. Even the CEO of the Learning Company said of the deal at the time: the lines of distinction between consumer software and toys begin to grey or blur when you get out past two years.. Our independence as a research firm enables our experts to provide unbiased advice you can trust. The history of corporate merger failure - MarketWatch Gartner research, which includes in-depth proprietary studies, peer and industry best practices, trend analysis and quantitative modeling, enables us to offer innovative approaches that can help you drive stronger, more sustainable business performance. The terms of this deal make it quite clear how important it was to this board and this management to get out from underneath this company, said Sean McGowan, the director of research for Gerard Klauer Mattison in New York. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Deals from Hell : M&a Lessons That Rise above the Ashes by Robert F. Bruner. Pending approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the merger should be finalized this March. struggling, have cut inventory instead of chasing incremental sales. It was telling that he also thought of a completely interactive childrens plush toy but wouldnt commit to how long it would take to arrive on the market. The managers behind this deal were rushing to get into new media, without truly understanding the dynamics of the new media landscape. a toymaker into more interactive items. Mattels largest acquisition to date was in 1998, when it acquired The Learning Company for $3.8B. They can be developed so they point users back to a commerce site," he said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Tesla Mexico plant means $10-billion investment, Nuevo Leon governor says, Assistants kindly request that you stop calling them assistants, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This is me, this is my face: Actress Mimi Rogers on aging naturally, without cosmetic surgery, Hyundai was poised to become Teslas top contender. Earlier, Hasbro purchased electronic games company Tiger Electronics Inc. and software games maker MicroProse Inc. And while Mattel and Hasbro have had tough times in the past making the adjustment to interactive kinds of stuff, this deal would seem to get thumbs up from everyone involved, said Eric Johnson, a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville who studies the industry. Mattel - The Learning Company Acquisition - LiquiSearch 0000003118 00000 n Every day, new opportunities emerge around M&A and we help professionals of all types comb through transactions, investors, and corporate acquirers via an easy-to-use web database that is accessible to anyone. 0000002599 00000 n This almost-great Raspberry Pi alternative is missing one key feature, This $75 dock turns your Mac Mini into a Mac Studio (sort of), Samsung's Galaxy S23 Plus is the Goldilocks of Smartphones, How the New Space Race Will Drive Innovation, How the metaverse will change the future of work and society, Digital transformation: Trends and insights for success, Software development: Emerging trends and changing roles. "Together we reach almost every home in America with our products.". Tesla Mexico plant means $10-billion investment, Nuevo Leon governor says, Assistants kindly request that you stop calling them assistants, Working more on the weekends? mattel and the learning company merger failure In exchange for the series of earnings hits, Eckert, who has been on the job since May, gets a much-needed fresh start after cleaning up a mess not of his making. If Gores resells the company within a six-month period, Mattel will reportedly share half of the proceeds. Still, the parameters of the deal indicate The Learning Company could be a little The theory was that this would allow communication between buyers and sellers on eBay, smoothing transaction flow and generating more revenue - beautiful synergies. 0000002127 00000 n "We also have the considerable resources of Mattel's ad budgets to let consumers know we're online.". 2023 ZDNET, A Red Ventures company. Testing RFID blocking cards: Do they work? Why mergers fail - CNET Michael Perik, CEO of The Learning Company, downplayed concerns. Mattel had agreed to pay the equivalent of $3.8 billion in its own stock for Learning Co.--about $33 per share of Learning Co. stock. In September 2000, MaRel announced the sale of the Learning Company unit, for almost no cash and the right to a share of the unit's future . Mattel Acquires The Learning Company | Mergr M&A Deal Summary HTn0EYTEj{HY;cT]3Apw64^A8w`{3/6 |N3{t8 0000006073 00000 n The company also purchased the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. Now Mattel sees 1998 revenue flat with a year ago with earnings projected Mattel's failing interactive unit also drained the company of its chief financial officer, Harry Pearce. Its research is produced independently by its research organization without input or influence from any third party. She was style-setting industrially and personally, with movie-star charisma and fashionable attire. Baskin-Robbins adds a hint of waffle, and voila, Federal Reserve officials sound warnings about higher rates. The deal is also designed to help smooth out yearly sales at Mattel, which, like all toy manufacturers, is unusually dependent upon fourth-quarter sales made through major retailers such as Toys R Us Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Learning Co. would give Mattel access to retailers like the upscale Zany Brainy chain, as well as myriad software resellers. Each company brings lots to the table, which is what you want in a marriage of this sort, so this one looks to be a win-win.. 20 percent to 23 11/16. It has also divested 2 assets. A stockholders guide to types of takeovers, rights and responsibilities. [._TuRb*uY$+i&l^# -T`#t1[5j&K^Hx%|8`mv~. "Because of TLC we can merge that all together and be more aggressive.". Looking over the longer term, I think we will be much better positioned on share price.. Oops! 0000001702 00000 n One of the few women leading a Fortune 500 company, she assumed near-iconic status as a role model for other women. Mattel designs, manufactures, and markets a broad variety of toy products. 0000004973 00000 n Toys R Us has cut inventory by 50 percent. /4xbs~OBNG`s2(NiVVjrI)H w!,|8\-X>k?vz"hq`gJSgt,E^ottC. And so they did. Manage all your deals & contacts in one place, Speed up and simplify due diligence process. Sensing a move away from traditional toys towards video game consoles, Mattel felt that the Learning Company would give it a software platform to build on. Finally, in May of 1999 Mattel added the Learning Company paying $3.5 billion or 4.5 times annual sales. This is Mattels 3rd transaction in the United States. 1.0 at or above 33. C6. 0000004202 00000 n The aim was to create interactive toys by infusing technology into regular toys. Mattel Inc. executives announced Friday that they finally found a way to unload one of the worst purchases in American corporate history. A narrative. Kison Patel is the Founder and CEO of DealRoom, a Chicago-based diligence management software that uses Agile principles to innovate and modernize the finance industry. California Consumer Products with Acquisitions, California Consumer Products with Divestitures, Recently Acquired Consumer Products Companies, Recently Sold Consumer Products Companies, Recently Acquired United States Companies, M&A research that takes seconds (not all afternoon), Better understand your customers and prospects. Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity. Mattel said it will now have a $1 billion interactive software business with The issue is that what constituted mortgage in the first decade of the 21st century in the United States was yet to become apparent. Failed Mergers and Acquisitions Examples America Online and Time Warner (2001): US$65 billion Daimler-Benz and Chrysler (1998): US$36 billion 8 a.m. 5 p.m. GMT Also on December 14, 1998, Mattel and The Learning Company, Inc. ("TLC"), the world's second largest consumer software company, announced that they have signed a definitive agreement for the merger of their two companies (the "Merger"). But Barad said the deal remains on track. Learn valuable lessons that can be applied to your practice. 2023, OReilly Media, Inc. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on oreilly.com are the property of their respective owners. As Gores worked over the last several weeks to woo Mattel, the firm faced competition up until the final minutes before the deal was struck from another player with a strikingly similar niche position--Platinum Equity Holdings, also based in Los Angeles. Shares of The Learning Company (NYSE:TLC) fell 1 15/16 to 26 3/8 and Mattel (NYSE:MAT) plunged Why Mattel's Failed Merger Talks Could Be a Good Thing Combined reach MATTEL AND THE LEARNING COMPANY: A CASE OF AN ACQUISITION IN TROUBLE Laurel Mitchell, Claremont McKenna College, 500 E. Ninth Street, Claremont, CA 9171 I. . The Learning Company, and Mattel amicipated transforming itself from a traditional toy company to a global provider of products for children. saham. With smartphones, and shortly after tablets, slowly beginning their rise to ubiquity, it was vogue for the biggest players in technology to announce that they would soon be producing their own handset devices. United States, PDF Learning from Mattel - Dartmouth Silicon Barbie? Mattel Acquires The Learning Company - Gartner The year 1998 was a tumultuous year of market consolidation in the consumer software arena. Mattel's corporate headquarters in El Segundo, California. HV[n0mIQ?. 0000006094 00000 n Instead, Barad was forced to revise financial projections several times as the problems at Learning Co. grew. and the mid-1990s geek obsession "Myst," but it hasn't delivered a killer title in several years. Thank you! June 10, 2022 . Time is Running Out, Motorola's handy Bluetooth device adds satellite messaging, Linux 6.2: The first mainstream Linux kernel for Apple M1 chips arrives, Sony's new headphones adopt WH-1000XM5 technology at a great price, The perfectly pointless $197 gadget that some people will love. Mattel bought the company just as children were trading in their CD-ROMs--Learning Co.s main delivery method--for games and programs downloaded from the Internet. Take Mattel MAT , . Mattels portfolio of brands and products include Barbie, Polly Pocket, Little Mommy, Disney Classics, Monster High, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Radica, Battle Force 5, Tyco R/C, Fisher-Price, Power Wheels, and American Girl. Mattel has acquired 11 companies. Mattel Chairman and Chief Executive Jill Barad said the deal, which now must be approved by federal regulators and shareholders at both companies, would help Mattels ongoing transformation from a toy company to a global childrens products company. Free shipping for many products! It seems bizarre now, but when Bank of America acquired Countrywide at the beginning of 2008 for a price of just US$2 billion, many thought it was a shrewd investment. profits were being squeezed by an inventory problems. ET 2022Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Call it a learning experience. .7ao"FiJ J7RhDA'L9Q. YVl9>y|HU>2c`$v LV1tGs2JPrc-q@D8WiOoKO@ 2]5UzDg*|~ Kw=}SGsymI4WuCEk} % 10A.^?Y,N)i06=0pGCYO In Microsofts case, this was Nokia. Although Gartner research may address legal and financial issues, Gartner does not provide legal or investment advice and its research should not be construed or used as such. It has been said in some quarters that the two cultures were too different to ever be brought together. Terms of service Privacy policy Editorial independence. Take OReilly with you and learn anywhere, anytime on your phone and tablet. Retailers such as Toys R Us, which is also You can take two fading companies, like KMart and Sears Roebuck, merge them, and youll have an even bigger problem than the one you started with. A mere sixteen months lat~, the acquisition was deemed a failure. Opinion: How has American healthcare gone so wrong? mattel and the learning company merger failure; Posts; Uncategorized; mattel and the learning company merger failure; mattel and the learning company merger failure. The Learning Company deal is latest example of Mattel's efforts to build its business beyond traditional Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars as children look for more high-tech products during . But Barad said the deal remains on track. mattel and the learning company merger failure Mattel also said Monday that fourth quarter earnings will take a hit 0000006914 00000 n Bank of America had basically acquired bad debt for US$2 billion. 10 Reasons Why Mergers and Acquisitions Fail - Value Scout 0000002394 00000 n Sales were strong into the Thanksgiving weekend, Barad said, but everything came to a screeching halt as inventory-conscious retailers stopped placing orders. But other observers suggested that retailers will continue to order more toys if consumer demand continues to be strong. This does have a ring to it. 0000002867 00000 n Here's a list of 10 notorious failed mergers that I've evaluated in one way or another: AOL/Time Warner, HP/Compaq, Alcatel/Lucent, Daimler Benz/Chrysler, Excite/@Home, JDS Uniphase/SDL,. Contact us today with any question you have. Resume - Mergers, LBOs, divestitures, and Business Failure Its easy to sell the idea of a retail bank buying a mortgage provider, a traditional toy maker merging with a technology platform or a software maker buying a handset maker to shareholders. 0000002970 00000 n Hb```f````e``Re`@ jn10ptWlsdVvV"ew4rN -Je>sSWrzdW,L,jHKKHC (7r xG3Uy' i 311hf`6s`j&w FS ~Cy% mattel and the learning company merger failure. Learning Co. has projected 1998 revenue of $850 million. 0000010298 00000 n As a former M&A advisor with over a decade of experience, Kison developed DealRoom after seeing first hand a number of deep-seated, industry-wide structural issues and inefficiencies. announced today that it has hired investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston to help it sell or otherwise dispose of The Learning Company. All rights reserved. Learning Co. began to sink almost as soon as Mattel took over the computer software maker, which owns titles such as Myst and PrintShop. Barad had said the purchase, which she projected would bring in $50 million in 1999, was crucial to keeping digital-age children connected to the brand that made its name with such low-tech toys as Barbie, Matchbox and Fisher-Price. Learn how to use DealRoom's M&A Lifecycle Management Software, Educational resources for each stage of the deal lifecycle. Deficits in the strategic logic or the market behaving differently than intended in the strategic plan foil M&A goals. Mattel will reduce its quarterly dividend to recoup some of the $430-million charge, from 9 cents per share to 5 cents, for a total of about $130 million. Uncategorized. To account for that arrangement, Mattel will take an after-tax loss of $430 million. From our perspective, if the ultimate goal of M&A is value creation, the opposite has to be the destruction of it. Eckert also briefly sketched a cost-cutting plan for Mattel that includes a 10% reduction in the work force, about 350 positions, along with a program to pare manufacturing and other administrative costs. During an early-morning call with investors and financial analysts, Mattel Chief Executive Robert Eckert said small Los Angeles-based investment firm Gores Technology Group will take software maker Learning Co. off Mattels books in a zero-cash-upfront deal. Platinum Equity is led by one of his former employees, Alec Gores youngest brother, Tom Gores. Become your own success story with DealRoom! If the property doesnt sell within five years, during which time Mattels share of a sale reportedly drops, Gores will give Mattel a percentage of the companys value at that time. The #1 M&A Source for industry training, tools, trends, and expertise tohelp you optimize your M&A function. The El Segundo company expects yearly earnings to fall to about $1.20 per share. "You don't look . mattel and the learning company merger failure Privacy Policy. mattel and the learning company merger failure In 1999, Learning Co. caused Mattels first annual loss in a decade. 0 X" endstream endobj 111 0 obj 211 endobj 74 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [ 0 0 611 792 ] /Parent 66 0 R /Resources << /Font << /F0 87 0 R /F1 90 0 R /F2 93 0 R /F3 94 0 R >> /XObject << /Im1 109 0 R >> /ProcSet 107 0 R >> /Contents [ 89 0 R 92 0 R 96 0 R 98 0 R 100 0 R 102 0 R 104 0 R 106 0 R ] /CropBox [ 28.8 14.39999 596.60001 763.2 ] /Rotate 0 /Thumb 57 0 R >> endobj 75 0 obj << /Count 6 /Type /Outlines /First 76 0 R /Last 77 0 R >> endobj 76 0 obj << /Title (MAIN MENU) /Parent 75 0 R /A 86 0 R /Next 84 0 R >> endobj 77 0 obj << /Title (Print) /Parent 75 0 R /Prev 78 0 R /A 79 0 R >> endobj 78 0 obj << /Title (Search Results) /Parent 75 0 R /Prev 80 0 R /Next 77 0 R /A 81 0 R >> endobj 79 0 obj << /S /Named /N /Print >> endobj 80 0 obj << /Title (Search CD-ROM) /Parent 75 0 R /Prev 82 0 R /Next 78 0 R /A 83 0 R >> endobj 81 0 obj << /S /Named /N /AcroSrch:Results >> endobj 82 0 obj << /Title (---------------------------------) /Parent 75 0 R /Prev 84 0 R /Next 80 0 R >> endobj 83 0 obj << /S /Named /N /AcroSrch:Query >> endobj 84 0 obj << /Title (PREVIOUS MENU) /Parent 75 0 R /Prev 76 0 R /Next 82 0 R /A 85 0 R >> endobj 85 0 obj << /S /Named /N /Close >> endobj 86 0 obj << /S /Launch /F (../../begin.pdf) >> endobj 87 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /Name /F0 /BaseFont /TimesNewRoman,Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 88 0 obj 856 endobj 89 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 88 0 R >> stream
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mattel and the learning company merger failure