Page 17 - bne magazine September 2023

bne September 2023 Companies & Markets I 17
PPF is a dominant player in Czechia, given the combination of controlling telecommunication infrastructure and being one of the three largest operators. EU authorities and local media have repeatedly pointed out that Czechs pay the most for data due to a lack of competition in the domestic market.
Etisalat is 60% owned by the United Arabic Emirates government, and the remaining 40% is traded publicly. The company was founded in 1976 and currently provides services to 155.4mn customers across 16 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
CEO Hatem Dowidar stated: “e& continues on its path to be a leading global technology group” focusing on “expanding our customer base”, and added that “by combining PPF Telecom’s expertise with our own innovative capabilities, we are poised
French IT company Atos close to finalising talks with Czech oligarch Kretinsky
bne IntelliNews
French multinational IT company Atos is in the “final stage” of talks with EP Equity Investment (EPEI), an investment vehicle controlled by Czech energy and media oligarch Daniel Kretinsky.
The deal, valued at €2bn, involves the sale of 100% of Atos’ Tech Foundations. EPEI also commits “to subscribe to the reserved capital increase of Eviden”, Atos’ unit owning cybersecurity and application modernisation, a press release distributed by a spokesperson for Kretinsky’s and Patrik Tkac’s VESA Equity Investment states.
“Acquiring Tech Foundations represents a great opportunity for us to invest in large-scale European IT infrastructure and services and provide our support for Tech Foundations business line to continue providing reliable and valuable services,” commented Kretinsky.
CEO of Atos Nourdine Bihame said he is “very pleased with the envisioned transaction, which demonstrates EPEI’s full confidence in the capabilities and potential of Tech Foundations and Eviden.”
Czech and French media pointed out that this would be Kretinsky’s first venture into the IT sector.
to establish a major telecommunications presence in Central and Eastern Europe.”
PPF also noted that the “partnership allows PPF Telecom to leverage e&’s expertise in other markets for rolling out top digital, loT & B2B services.” The transaction is expected to close before or during the first quarter of 2024 and is subject to regulatory approvals.
Talks on the cooperation were first reported by Bulgarian weekly Kapital. Last week, PPF released an annual report in which Balesh Sharma described PPF’s plans to focus on “the new ways our network is used”, listing “security products, content and TV products, insurance products, and tomorrow perhaps financial services products.”
CEO of Atos Nourdine Bihame said he is "very pleased with the envisioned transaction". / Atos
“The fact that critical data storing infrastructure for European clients is located in the EU and operated by the EU company is and will be an essential cyber security prerequisite and
the key differentiating factor,” Kretinsky also said, adding that he believes in the “growth potential of Eviden” and “will continue to develop the Atos brand”.
Kretinsky and Tkac have been on an extraordinary shopping spree across the continent in recent months, which involves key infrastructure sectors such as energy or media, but EPEI has also ventured into UK’s Royal Mail and Dutch PostNL. Kretinsky also became the major shareholder in football side West Ham.
EPEI said it has agreed with Marc Ladreit Lacharriere's FIMALAC to hold discussions about the “potential minority participation of FIMALAC in the acquisition of Tech Foundations and the increase of registered capital of Eviden”. FIMALAC also formed a consortium with Kretinsky in the recent takeover of the French debt-stricken retail chain Casino.
Atos employs over 120,000 people and handles 111 data centres in 43 countries. It also operates building hardware for the French military.
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