Resco signs an agreement concerning two company take-overs in Finland

Resco signs an agreement concerning two company take-overs in Finland Resco is taking another step in its expansion into Finland by taking over the IT and Internet consulting firms Dataform Oy and Toneco Oy. Both firms have peak competence in CRM and are thereby strengthening the existing operations in Finland. Resco will have more than 150 employees in Finland after the take-overs, and with an extensive mix of competence. In April Resco acquired the Finnish IT and Internet consulting firm Major Blue Company which has about 100 employees and which now constitutes the foundation for Resco in Finland. Resco considers the Finnish market to be strategically important, both because of its strong underlying growth as well as due to it being a leader in CRM (customer relationship management) and the mobile Internet. The take-overs of Dataform Oy and Toneco Oy are quite in keeping with the strategy of a strong, pervasive market presence in Finland. Dataform Oy, with its base in Åbo, is an IT and Internet consulting firm with 35 employees. Dataform Oy has peak competence in CRM by means of the niche products it developed by itself and which are mainly intended for the retail trade. One of its biggest customers is Kesko Oy, Finland's largest retail chain. Dataform Oy also has customers in Sweden, Norway, Germany and a number of countries outside Europe. It is estimated that the company's turnover will be about 16 MFIM (23 MSEK) in 2000 whilst remaining profitable. Toneco Oy, with its base in Helsinki, is an IT and Internet consulting firm that employees 7 people. Toneco Oy has developed a number of object- oriented CRM products and is thereby adding further competence to Resco with regard to the capacity to package consulting activity into "products". The company has also developed internationally marketable products that make it possible to integrate SMS-based communication with the underlying databases. It is estimated that Toneco Oy's turnover will be about 3 MFIM (4.3 MSEK) in 2000 whilst remaining profitable. "For a long time now there have been personal and professional links between both the acquired companies and Major Blue Company, which strengthens the whole deal. The new constellation creates a market range that goes from the mobile CRM products they developed themselves to solid competence in the area of integrated ERP solutions and Internet environments", says Markku Pekkola, Major Blue Company's Managing Director. "Within a very short period Resco has assumed one of the leading positions in the lucrative Finnish IT and Internet consulting market. And this growth, which is occurring whilst remaining profitable, continues to be given priority in Finland thanks to a growing, local customer base that is demanding IT solutions at the cutting edge of technology. Resco is now becoming one of the leading companies in Europe as far as an understanding of integrated CRM solutions is concerned", says Torstein Johansen, Managing Director of Resco AB. As a consequence of the proposed merger of Fi System and Resco, approval for the take-overs is required from the proposed company's joint board of directors. Fi System is very positive towards both take-overs. Payment will be made by making a new share issue. It is then intended that Datacom Oy and Toneco Oy will be integrated into Major Blue Company, Finland. For more information, please contact: Torstein Johansen, Resco AB's Managing Director, on +46 70-665 65 10 Markku Pekkola, Major Blue Company's Managing Director, on +358 400 233 150 Viktor Svensson, who is responsible for IR and information at Resco AB, on +46 70-890 33 13 Resco AB RESCO is a consultancy firm based on the association of the strongest individuals in several industries - specialists whose individual competencies allow us to offer a greater whole than others - from the Internet and to the physical world. With our 550 specialists in the fields of market communication, business systems, design, Internet strategy, web technology and architecture, we are taking a unique position in the corporate renewal market. Our offer reaches from communication that cements relationships and into the technology that makes business exchange possible. We see it as our mandate to constantly challenge our customers and ourselves to see new opportunities in the economy of a new era. RESCO was founded in 1982. We are listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and have offices in Sweden, Finland and Germany. www.resco.se/.com Resco AB and the European web agency FiSystem (950 staffed in France, The UK, Spain, Belgium and Italy) have announced a share-for-share exchange programme to be launched on early November. The aim of this merger is to form a European leader in large Internet integration projects. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/10/11/20001011BIT00110/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/10/11/20001011BIT00110/bit0002.pdf