Capgemini acquires Dutch firm

BANGALORE, INDIA: Outsourcing, consulting and IT services provider Capgemini, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Getronics PinkRoccade (GPR), for the acquisition of its business application services BV (BAS BV).

According to the company, this acquisition amounts to an equity value of €255 million paid in cash on Capgemini-owned resources.

The transaction should be finalized by the end of the year, subject to the approval of the European Commission and to the consultation of the relevant Workers’ Council.

This division regroups the GPR’s application service activities in Netherlands. Through this acquisition, Capgemini will reinforce its position in the key markets, while developing a stable portfolio of long-term applications management contracts in the public sector, said a press release.

The BAS BV service had a turnover of close to €300 million in 2007 and employs 2,200 professionals working on more than 600 projects.

Among its clients, it counts some major names in the Dutch public sector such as planning organizations, large State administrations and social security bodies as well as major players in the insurance and banking world.

“The strong synergies which exist between BAS BV and Capgemini open up some great windows on a longstanding market which is also one of the Group’s most profitable,” underlines Paul Hermelin, chief executive officer, Capgemini. “Moreover, this acquisition fits perfectly into both Capgemini’s strategy and the Intimacy stream of our i3 conquest plan.”

According to Erik van der Meijden, chief executive officer, Getronics, “Joining Capgemini will bring to both clients and BAS employees the stability of a large-scale multinational group in our areas of expertise, which is also strongly implicated and recognized in the Dutch market.”

Lazard and Rabo Securities are Capgemini’s advisors for this transaction while Clifford Chance and Latham and Watkins act as legal advisors to Capgemini.