Adera to acquire the Swedish CDG e-commerce consulting firm

Adera to acquire the Swedish CDG e-commerce consulting firm Adera has signed a letter of intent to acquire Context Development Group (CDG), which specializes in e-commerce systems and which has unique experience in working with dot.com companies. Over the years Adera has focused on building up a competitive structure and model to meet the unique needs of Internet start-up companies and spin-offs. CDGs 42 consultants will constitute the base for the portion of Adera's consulting business that involves e-commerce solutions for this customer segment. "This is one of Adera's most important strategic acquisitions," says Jörgen Ericsson, Adera's Chief Executive Officer. "CDG has a somewhat special position in the Swedish market in terms of experience in delivering superior-quality e-commerce solutions. CDG will be an important part of Adera's unique model for developing, establishing and launching dot.com companies and spin-off programs, together with Result Ventures and Adera Venture Zone." With CDG, Adera is acquiring in-depth expertise in custom-tailored e- commerce solutions and a combination of cutting-edge knowledge in interface design and system build-up, as well as substantial experience in working with dot.com companies whose needs often differ strikingly from those of traditional blue chip companies. CDG had sales of SEK 11.5 M in 1999, with a profit of SEK 2 M before financial items and taxes. The forecast for 2000 is for net sales of approximately SEK 40 M, with a profit of between SEK 4 M and SEK 5 M before financial items and taxes. CDG was founded in 1998 by a number of pioneers in e-commerce who were responsible for Boxman's build-up of Framtidsfabriken, among other operations. The company's Internet customers today are in the areas of both business-to-business and business-to-consumer activities and include Smilmer (formerly Leknet), Tradera, Glamorama, Chili, Crest Computer and HL Display. "CDG's basic concept is to work with customers whose strategic focus is on the Internet," says Mikael Augustinson, CDG's president. "We have therefore chosen to work exclusively with dot.com companies and Internet spin-offs from traditional companies. A high degree of expertise and flexibility is required to meet the demands of these companies." The purchase price for the acquisition is SEK 78 M, plus a supplementary profit-related payment of not more than SEK 9 M following the end of the year, to be paid in Adera Series B shares. Adera AB (publ) generates business value for customers by combining areas of expertise critical for success based on the new business logic: strategy/business development, marketing/communications and IT/Internet. Adera currently consists of 650 employees and has offices in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Malmö, Ljungby and Värnamo - in Sweden - as well as Copenhagen, Oslo, London, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Munich. The company's shares are traded on the "O" List of the OM Stockholm Exchange. For additional information, please visit our Websites: www.aderagroup.com or www.cdg.se For additional information pertaining to this release, please call: Jörgen Ericsson, CEO, Adera, Tel.: +46 8 645 033 00 Janerik Dimming, Information Manager, Adera, Tel.: +46 31 701 67 66 Mobile: +46 706 206 006 Mikael Augustinson, President, CDG, Tel.: + 46 70 778 76 90 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/21/20000621BIT00260/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/21/20000621BIT00260/bit0002.pdf