They have significant digital video and thumbnail IP and a few years ago scooped up quite significant licensing revenue via Sony, Canon, Sanyo ++

I am no expert in this field but I am of the opinion that there are significant synergies between the 2 companies with Ampex being a decent & steady supplier of defense related "bullet-proof" digiatal storage solutions, flight data recorders (almost a monopoly on this market) plus some digital video and still storage IP.  They have hundreds of patents and are in need of financing in order to wring out additional revenues from infringers.  They can hardly be called a patent troll etc as they INVENTED video tape recording technology, picture in picture tech, thumbnail digital storage tech found in hardware devices (cameras, camcorders, DVRs ++) etc etc.   They also have patents in streaming video. 

Oh ... and Ampex trades on the Nasdaq