Digital solutions company Atos have agreed a deal to buy Unify from The Gores Group and Siemens for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will expand Atos’s digital services to allow more integration between communications and IT services. The deal is expected to go ahead by the first quarter of 2016, pending union and regulatory body consultation.
Unify, a joint venture between German firm Siemens AG and The Gores Group, stand as the number three world leader in integrated communication solutions. The company produce a range of phones and phone systems, as well as contact centre and industry specific communication solutions. With 5600 employees and a presence in over 60 countries, Unify generates over €1.2 billion in revenue.
Atos hope the acquisition will broadly expand their digital offerings. Unify hold over 3000 patents, protecting their technologies and applications from other developers. In the press release announcing the purchase, Atos made particular reference to Unify’s Circuit application. Circuit is a powerful web RTC (real time collaboration) application promising a range of functionalities, including screen sharing, file sharing, search, voice calls, video conferencing and third-party app integration, all within one service.
Chairman and CEO of Atos, Thierry Breton stated: “The contemplated acquisition of Unify will increase our offerings for the digital transformation for our customers. They are looking for seamless services solutions for their entire digital portfolio and a reliable partner that can service their needs end-to-end. Unify portfolio and customer base is a perfect match that uniquely complements existing Atos digital capabilities”.
President and CEO of Siemens AG, Joe Kaeser, said: “I am convinced that Atos is the perfect solution for a sustainable future of Unify and its customers. Atos is a proven and a trustful partner and a specialist for successful integration of acquisitions. At the same time, we are diligently executing on our Vision 2020, focusing our business and position Siemens along the value chain of electrification, automation and digitalization.”
Alec Gores, Chairman and CEO of The Gores Group, stated, “Since the start of our joint venture with Siemens AG, we embarked on a transformation plan focused on operational excellence and meeting the needs of our global customers. Together we invested in innovation, rebranded the company, recruited an impressive management team, and transitioned the business to a channel-driven, software-first company.” Gores added, “We believe Unify is well positioned to take the business to new levels of success and performance with the support of its new shareholder.”