Atos Origin sells Nordic operations to WM-Data
Atos Origin, a leading international information technology services provider, today announced that it has reached agreement to sell its Nordic operations to WM-data for SEK 1,330 million (EUR 145 million), payable in cash at completion. The transaction remains subject to approval from the competition authorities in Sweden and Norway, but is expected to complete in the second half of June 2005. Atos Origin and WM-data will enter into an alliance agreement to provide extended support for each other’s clients in their respective geographic domains.
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Atos Origin acquired IT service operations in the Nordic region as part of the acquisition of Sema Group from Schlumberger in January 2004. The annual revenues in that region are approximately EUR 175 million, with 1,300 staff. Prior to 2004, Atos Origin had acquired a very small IT service unit in the Nordic region with Origin, which it sold to WM-data in 2001. Between 2001 and early 2004 WM-data supported Atos Origin clients in the Nordic region and Atos Origin supported WM-data clients elsewhere in Europe under a collaborative agreement.
At the time of acquiring Sema Group, Atos Origin stated an intention to dispose of businesses with annual revenues of up to EUR 500 million. In 2004, the Group disposed of businesses with annual revenues of just over EUR 200 million and today’s announcement represents a significant further step in completing that objective. The Group expects the remainder of its disposal program to be completed in 2005.
Bernard Bourigeaud, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive of Atos Origin said: "As a result of our previous relationship with WM-data, I am confident that clients of our Nordic business will be well served by WM-data, and that the enlarged WM-data group is well positioned to achieve leadership in the Nordic region. I look forward to entering into a close cooperation with WM-data to support our respective operations internationally and am confident that we will develop a strong and successful partnership. I would like to thank all of our employees in the region for their support and enthusiasm and I to wish them the very best of good fortune in the future".