Fall in average prices affetcs Atea

11/13/2003 8:00 AM EST

Fall in average prices affects Atea

Press Release - Stockholm, 13 November 2003

Atea, the Nordic region's leading one-stop supplier of IT products and
related services, reports a weak third quarter 2003 as anticipated.
Turnover amounted to 927 MSEK (1132 MSEK in the third quarter 2002),
resulting in an operating loss (EBITA) of -8,1 MSEK (6 MSEK).

Accumulated turnover as at the end of the third quarter 2003 amounted to
3460 MSEK (4611 MSEK ), with an operating profit (EBITA) of 35,4 MSEK
(68 MSEK), and pre-tax profits of 9 MSEK (40 MSEK).

- The third quarter is normally the weakest of the year in our sector.
As predicted, the market continued to be tough in the third quarter with
lower volumes combined with pressure on prices - resulting in average
prices falling by 25 percent, says Thomas Keifer, CEO of Atea.
He continues:

- This means that we need to continue to improve the Group's efficiency
and add more value to our customers with infrastructure products and
related services. We have a strong market position and we have won a
number of very promising new customers and projects during this quarter,
but we haven't yet seen the results in our numbers.

Atea Sweden also has announced an agreement with WM-data regarding the
acquisition of WM-data's Swedish operations within System Platforms,
a division that works with server and data storage solutions.
Server consolidation is a growth area where Atea was successful in the
third quarter and now has the resources and the competence to take on
major projects.

Atea is the leading Nordic company within sales, distribution and
integration of IT products and IT infrastructure. Atea's business
concept is to simplify and rationalise customers' management of IT
products throughout the entire life cycle.

The Atea group (Atea Holding AB) was legally formed on 1 October 2001,
and is owned by WM-data, the international venture capital company 3i,
as well as the management of Atea. The CEO is Thomas Keifer.
Atea employs about 700 people in the Nordic region, and turnover in
2002 amounted to 6061 MSEK

www.atea.com

For further information, please contact:
Atea
Thomas Keifer, CEO
Tel: +46 (0)733-98 00 06
E-mail:  

Atea
Rolf Eriksson, CFO
Tel: +46 (0)733-98 55 01
E-mail:  


Atea
Johan Scherlin, Marketing and Information
Tel: +46 (0)733-98 43 10
E-mail: