Intentia signs outsourcing agreement for its Nordic hardware business with Scribona

Intentia signs outsourcing agreement for its Nordic hardware business with Scribona Intentia and Scribona have signed an agreement for outsourcing the hardware operations for Intentia's Nordic division. Through the agreement, Scribona will handle sales, marketing, and support of the IBM server assortment for Intentia's customers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. The compensation to Intentia amounts to the sum of SEK 71 million, plus a variable part based on future sales. "This agreement is a natural step in strengthening our core business", says Hans Nedenius, Vice President of Intentia International. "Through this agreement we know, that our customers and Intentia, together with IBM, receives a strong and competent partner in Scribona for the hardware sector. At the same time we will be able to focus even more strongly on e- business, one of the most strategic areas for future growth". Nedenius continues, "The agreement with Scribona covers the Nordic market. Our plans for the market as a whole will be a future decision." "This operation will be sorted into our fast growing business area Scribona Solutions, and is totally in line with our clearly defined strategy of creating profitable growth within this business area", says Lars Palm, Vice President at Scribona and responsible for Scribona Solutions. "With this agreement, we take an important step in our aim to become the leading Nordic player within advanced IT infrastructure", Palm continues. "Based on Intentia's strong position in the market, we count on that this agreement to a major part will contribute to our goal of a yearly growth of approximately 40% for this business area for the years to come. We already have a very good co-operation with IBM and is already today the largest value-adding distributor of IBM's heavy server assortment, AS/400, NetFinity, and RS/6000, in the Nordic countries. "We have a very positive view on this for all partners involved", says Tore Hallquist, Marketing Director at IBM. "Intentia will be able to focus on their Movex industry solution sales, whilst Scribona in a newly started company, will handle sales support and IT infrastructure support. Our customers will have a complete installation through co-operation between specialists within each area. We see continuos business opportunities for IBM through this agreement, and last but not least, satisfied customers". "The agreement with Scribona has a positive effect on the result for 1999, which is a year when the market for industry solutions has been very weak", says Björn Algkvist, CEO and President Intentia International. "A gradual recovery of the market has been noted during this quarter, although we can note that it has been slower than expected, with accompanied delays in current purchasing projects as a result. When license sales are made at high margins, even small deviations affect the yearly result. Therefore, we estimate that results for 1999 will be lower than previously expected". For further information, please contact: Hans Nedenius, Vice President Intentia International, tel +46 8 444 5602 Håkan Gyrulf, Vice President Intentia International, tel +46 8 444 5825 Björn Algkvist, CEO and President Intentia International, tel +46 8 444 5605 More information about Intentia: www.intentia.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/22/19991222BIT01090/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/22/19991222BIT01090/bit0002.pdf