Ericsson Inks Largest Deal With $6.2 Billion Vonage Takeover (2)

Ericsson has agreed to buy Vonage Holdings Corp. in its biggest-ever deal, a takeover that also concludes a brief but successful activism campaign by Jana Partners.

Ericsson’s $6.2 billion all-cash offer for Vonage dwarfs its 1.2 billion pound ($1.6 billion) acquisition for Telent Ltd telecom equipment assets in 2005, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Jana Partners, which owns about 4% of Vonage, called on the company in August to hire advisers to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of all or parts of the telecommunications services company.

Vonage, based in Holmdel, New Jersey, provides business communications services that ...