DGAP-News: Pironet NDH AG / Key word(s): Strategic Company Decision/Change of Personnel Pironet NDH AG: Sale of SA2 Worldsync GmbH, Reorganisation of the MDS group segment, Changes in the Executive Board 12.08.2011 / 15:48 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cologne, Germany, 12. August 2011 - The Pironet NDH Group is consistently pursuing the transformation process it launched in the spring, with the aim of realignment and strengthening of the earnings situation. Following the sale of agentes AG, along with the withdrawal from the deficit-running group segment Finance IT in March of this year, the previously announced review of all strategic options in the Master Data Services (MDS) group segment at Pironet NDH is now complete. Profitable realignment The MDS group segment addresses the retail sector and the consumer-goods industry and encompasses SA2 Worldsync GmbH, SA2 Retail AG and SA2 Exchange GmbH. Within the scope of the review, important decisions were made for the benefit of the companies and of all of the customers, business partners and employees; major steps were taken to chart the course for a profitable realignment of the Pironet NDH Group. Sale of shares in SA2 Worldsync GmbH SA2 Worldsync GmbH provides the retail sector and the consumer goods industry with an extensive data pool for electronic exchange and the synchronisation of product master data. Taking economic effect on 1 January 2011, Pironet NDH AG has sold the 51% share held in SA2 Worldsync GmbH by its subsidiary SA2 Retail AG to its longstanding co-partner at SA2 Worldsync GmbH, GS1 Germany GmbH, Cologne. The purchase price is set at EUR 2.6 million. In addition, a licence contract has been completed which allows the perpetual and irrevocable licence for usage, processing and advancement of the PIM source code on the basis of a one-off fee in the amount of EUR 1.4 million. SA2 Worldsync GmbH requires the PIM basic technology to continue its business operations. SA2 Worldsync GmbH is part of the MDS segment at Pironet NDH AG, where it had only been consolidated at equity since 1 January 2011. To secure ongoing client projects, an extensive contract for additional training and development services was concluded as well. Both companies will continue to work together in a spirit of partnership in the future. Datacenter operation of the master data pool will also be provided by Pironet NDH Datacenter GmbH for the next 3 years. Integration of SA2 Retail AG within Imperia AG SA2 Retail AG carries out demanding software and IT development projects for major clients in the retail and consumer-goods setting. Particularly close project collaboration is in place with Imperia AG, a group affiliate of SA2 Retail AG. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board of Pironet NDH AG have decided upon the reorganisation and integration of SA2 Retail AG in the Imperia AG. The future company has considerable potential for the use of synergies in both development and sales, ensures the reliable fulfilment of customer contracts of SA2 Retail AG and offers a diversity of opportunities for new solution concepts in the marketplace. The integration also simplifies organisational structures and reduces administrative expenses. Integration of SA2 Exchange GmbH within Pironet NDH Datacenter GmbH SA2 Exchange GmbH offers companies a central, software-based transaction platform for the outsourcing of invoicing processes and for electronic data interchange (EDI) between business partners. As a pure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, the platform serves major clients from a variety of industries. Even today, the system is operated in the computing centre at Pironet NDH Datacenter GmbH, and the service is performed jointly with SA2 Exchange GmbH. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board at Pironet NDH AG have decided in favour of the integration of SA2 Exchange GmbH in Pironet NDH Datacenter GmbH. Today's offering by SA2 Exchange extends and completes the business model of Pironet NDH Datacenter in an outstanding way, integrates itself directly in the existing SaaS and cloud-computing portfolio and will further accelerate the company's successful course for growth. This is true both against the backdrop of future synergies in joint sales and for the strengthening of staff expertise in the technical divisions. Experts who are still needed and are difficult to recruit currently represent the most significant impediment to growth at Pironet NDH Datacenter GmbH. In the view of leading market analysts, Pironet NDH Datacenter ranks among the leading and strong-growing SaaS and cloud-computing providers among German SMEs. Reorganisation of the MDS group segment and Changes in the Executive Board With the sale of the shares in SA2 Worldsync GmbH and the internal reorganisation of SA2 Retail AG and SA2 Exchange GmbH, the process of the strategic review of the MDS segment of Pironet NDH AG, announced on 25 March 2011, was successfully completed. In this connection, the Chairman of the Executive Board of Pironet NDH AG, Mr. Hans-Werner Scherer, has announced his wish to withdraw from the Executive Board of the company. The related talks have not yet ended. Until their completion, Mr. Scherer is relieved of his duties as Chairman of the Executive Board and member of the Executive Board effective from August 11, 2011. With effect from August 11, 2011, Mr. Scherer's successor in the chairmanship of the executive board will be the present Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Mr. Felix Höger. Focus on reliable fulfilment of services and profitable growth The reorganisation resolved represents the conclusion of the review of strategic options in the Master Data Services group segment. These options are now being enacted at the organisational level. The measures decided ensure reliable fulfilment of all service obligations to the clients and business partners while providing a solid starting point for profitability and growth for Pironet NDH AG. About Pironet NDH AG PIRONET NDH AG offers the market a unique portfolio of solutions for handling digital content and data. This includes consultancy, software, integration and outsourcing services. PIRONET NDH AG is a corporate group that brings together three companies specializing in the different business areas ICT outsourcing, consulting and design as well as content management solutions. PIRONET NDH AG was founded in 1995 and is based in Cologne. Since 2000, it has been listed on the German stock exchange. The Group of companies employs more than 350 people and posted sales figures of around 55 million euros in the last financial year (2010). Further information at: http://www.pironet-ndh.com End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12.08.2011 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Pironet NDH AG Von-der-Wettern Str. 27 51149 Köln Germany Phone: +49 (0)220 393530 - 6002 Fax: +49 (0)220 393530 - 6009 E-mail: ir@pironet-ndh.com Internet: www.pironet-ndh.com ISIN: DE0006916406 WKN: 691640 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (General Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 135604 12.08.2011
DGAP-News: Pironet NDH AG: Sale of SA2 Worldsync GmbH, Reorganisation of the MDS group segment, Changes in the Executive Board
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