EANS-News: USU becomes leading global provider for software asset management
Majority holding in Aachen-based software company Aspera
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Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers
Subtitle: Majority holding in Aachen-based software company Aspera
Möglingen (euro adhoc) - USU today announced its majority takeover of Aspera GmbH. The Aachen-based company is the world´s leading provider of solutions for software license management. The portfolio includes products such as SmartTrack, which is geared towards the premium market, and the solution for SMEs, Licensum. Over 90 customers including eight of the top ten DAX groups have successfully introduced Aspera solutions. With customers such as Nokia Siemens Networks or Orange Aspera is now also setting the benchmark internationally for license management.
The topic of software license management has become a central risk factor in view of stricter compliance guidelines for companies. Compliance violators face severe sanctions including high fines and prison sentences. At the same time, huge cost benefits can be reaped from optimized license management. In the context of these conflicting pressures, those responsible must lower the drastically increased costs for the administration of software licenses significantly, sustainably and in line with compliance requirements.
With the products and expertise of Aspera, USU will be the leading provider in the growth area of software asset management. By combining this widely-established special solution with USU´s Valuemation product suite, USU Software AG will achieve global USP in knowledge-based service management. The strategic combination offers both companies the potential to continue to grow, also at an international level.
As part of the transaction, USU Software AG will initially acquire 51% of the shares in Aspera GmbH. The purchase price for this is approximately EUR 3 million, of which 50% will be settled in shares and 50% in cash. The shares to be granted are to result from carrying out a capital increase by way of contribution in kind from the authorized capital of USU. USU is aiming for a complete acquisition of Aspera within two years. For this reason, the parties have corresponding mutual option rights. The consideration for this 49% is dependent on certain factors, particularly Aspera´s earnings. In fiscal 2009/10, Aspera generated sales of around EUR 4 million and a significant double-digit profit margin.
"In Aspera, we have succeeded in gaining a dynamically growing and highly profitable company which, as the market leader in software license management, is an ideal addition to the USU Group´s portfolio", explains Bernhard Oberschmidt, Chairman of the Management Board of USU Software AG.
Following the acquisition by USU, Aspera is to be continued as an independent entity under the management of the previous managing directors. "The combination with the USU Group enables us firstly to continue our pace of growth within Germany and secondly to gain a visible scale in order to be able to grow more strongly at an international level in future. At the same time, we are offering our employees long-term prospects in an established and healthy company", says Bernhard Böhler, managing director of Aspera GmbH.
USU Software AG maintains a solid financing position after the purchase too - with no liabilities to banks and with cash and cash equivalents of over EUR 8 million for further organic and acquisition-driven growth.
Further information on the acquisition and the target figures will be announced by the Management Board of USU Software AG at the company´s upcoming Annual General Meeting on July 15, 2010 in Ludwigsburg.
USU Software AG
The USU group is the leading European vendor of IT and Knowledge Management software. USU solutions enable customers worldwide and in all sectors of the economy to apply the added value of IT, to become more flexible, to save costs and to minimize business risks. The USU Group consists of German and foreign subsidiaries, including USU AG, Omega Software GmbH, LeuTek GmbH and Aspera GmbH. USU Software AG (DE000A0BVU28) is listed in the Prime Standard segment of the German Stock Exchange in Frankfurt as well as in the Gate-M trading initiative of the Stuttgart Stock Exchange.
With Valuemation®, USU offers a powerful and feature-rich integrated suite of tools for Knowledge-based Service Management all from one source, This modular suite, which is recognized by leading international analysts, comprehensively supports all ITIL® disciplines. Customers use the USU KnowledgeCenter technology either in the form of an integrated research and navigation system or as a portal solution to activate all of an organization´s knowledge..
USU was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Germany. Further information is available at www.usu-ag.com
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
USU Software AG
Investor Relations
Falk Sorge
Spitalhof
D-71696 Möglingen
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 351
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 108
E-Mail: f.sorge@usu-software.de
Branche: Software
ISIN: DE000A0BVU28
WKN: A0BVU2
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
Hannover / free trade
München / free trade
Stuttgart / regulated dealing
Original-Content von: USU Software AG, übermittelt durch news aktuell