Press release
Paris, 18 May 2017
Not for
distribution in the United States of America
Orange enters exclusive
negotiations to acquire Business & Decision to accelerate
Orange Business Services' growth in data intelligence
-
Orange is entering exclusive negotiations to
acquire a controlling stake in Business & Decision, an
international consulting and systems integration group.
-
The acquisition aims to reinforce
Orange Business Services' leadership as an operator and integrator
of data services in France and abroad.
Orange announces that it has entered
into exclusive negotiations to acquire a controlling stake of
around 67 percent of Business & Decision, a company listed on
Euronext Paris, from the majority shareholders - the Bensabat
family and Christophe Dumoulin.
Specialising in data and digital
services, Business & Decision is a leading player in Business
Intelligence and CRM (Customer Relationship Management). The
company has 2,500 employees in France and internationally,
particularly in Europe.
The transaction will be finalized
following the procedure of informing and consulting the employee
representative bodies of both Network Related Services (an Orange
subsidiary) and Business & Decision. It is also subject to the
usual suspensive conditions, including the approval of the relevant
competition authorities. Once these conditions have been met, the
operation will be carried out in cash on the basis of a maximum
price of 7.93 euros per share.
In the event of the successful
acquisition of a majority stake, Orange will file a simplified
public offer for all Business & Decision shares it does not
hold. To do this, and subject to the approval of market
authorities, Orange will offer shareholders 7.93 euros per share in
cash, which corresponds to the maximum price paid by the majority
shareholders.
This price of 7.93 euros per share
represents a premium of 34 percent compared to the average share
price over the previous 12 months. The offer values the entire
capital of Business & Decision at approximately 62.5 million
euros. Trading was suspended on Monday, 8 May 2017 following market
rumours published in the media on Friday, 5 May 2017.
This acquisition project is part of
Orange Business Services' development strategy, which aims to
position it as a global player in digital transformation and as a
global leader across the entire data services value-chain.
Today, Orange Business Services is
already a global leader in secure data transport services thanks to
its expertise in network management and is well positioned in data
collection and storage. The acquisition of Business & Decision
and, in particular, its expertise in Business Intelligence and data
science, would significantly strengthen the activities of Orange
Business Services in France and internationally in data governance
and data analysis.
Business & Decision's teams and
customers stand to benefit from the breadth of Orange Business
Services' capabilities as an operator and integrator in areas such
as the internet of things, cloud computing, cybersecurity and
application development. They will also benefit from the
international scope of the Orange Business Services sales network
that supports multinational corporations around the world.
"Business &
Decision and Orange Business Services share a genuine digital
culture based on common skill sets, while offering complementary
catalogues of services to their customers. We are convinced that
the combination of Business & Decision's expertise in data and
Business Intelligence and our dual know-how as an operator and
service integrator will be a key lever that will enable us to
accelerate the digital transformation of our enterprise customers
and stimulate growth," said Thierry Bonhomme, the Orange
Group's Deputy CEO in charge of Orange Business Services.
"This operation is
perfectly in line with the realization of our strategic objectives
around our two key offerings: data and digital services. It is an
opportunity for Business & Decision and its teams to deploy our
expertise in new markets in France and internationally, and to
continue to invest and innovate in data-driven technologies. The
values of Business & Decision, which are dear to its founder,
and that are focused on the respect of its employees, are also
shared by Orange, and I am convinced that this is an excellent
indicator of the future success of this project," said
Christophe Dumoulin, Managing Director of Business &
Decision.
"I am extremely happy that
Business & Decision is joining a group that shares the same
values as the company's founder Patrick Bensabat with regards to
assuring the best interests of the company's employees and
customers. This union will bring the fresh dynamic which the
company that he created now needs to move forward. Business &
Decision's teams, that Patrick had cherished with enormous esteem
and affection, will now contribute to the success of the Orange
Group by bringing their expertise and operational efficiency,"
said Tova Bensabat, Board member and representative of the
family-held majority ownership.
The transaction is expected to be
completed by the end of the third quarter of 2017.
About Orange
Orange is one of the world's leading
telecommunications operators with sales of 40,9 billion euros in
2016 and 154,000 employees worldwide at 31 March 2017, including
95,000 employees in France. Present in 29 countries, the Group has
a total customer base of 265 million customers worldwide at 31
March 2017, including 203 million mobile customers and
19 million fixed broadband customers. Orange is also a leading
provider of global IT and telecommunication services to
multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services.
In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan
"Essentials2020" which places customer experience at the heart of
its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from
the digital universe and the power of its new generation
networks.
Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA)
and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).
For more information on the internet and on your mobile:
www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com or to follow us on Twitter:
@orangegrouppr.
Orange and any other Orange product or service
names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange
Brand Services Limited.
About Business & Decision
Business & Decision, a global consulting and
systems integration group (CSI), is a leader in Business
Intelligence (BI) and CRM, and is a leading e-Business player. The
Group contributes to the success of high added-value projects for
businesses and supports its customers in various innovative areas
such as Big Data and digital services. The company is recognized
for its operational and technical expertise by leading software
developers with whom it has built-up solid partnerships. With its
unique capabilities in its specialist areas, Business &
Decision offers tailored solutions for a broad range of sectors and
industry functions. Business & Decision operates in 12
countries and employs more than 2,500 people in France and around
the world.
Press contacts:
Orange Group: Tom Wright, +33 1 44 44 93 93,
tom.wright@orange.com
Business & Decision: Safa Baghai, +33 1 56 21 21 20,
safa.baghai@businessdecision.com
PR_Orange_BusinessDecision_EN_180517.pdf
This
announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf
of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely
responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: Orange via Globenewswire
Orange (EU:ORA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Orange (EU:ORA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024