Paris Match: Onepoint Takes Nearly 10-Percent Stake In Atos
Paris-based Onepoint has acquired a 9.98-percent share of cross-town IT global solution provider Atos, a company already dealing with its move to split into two separate companies, nationalist backlash against a possible partial sale to a Czech billionaire, a new company chairman, and its third CEO in two years.
French IT solution provider Onepoint Thursday said it has acquired a 9.98-percent stake in larger rival Atos.
Atos in the last couple of years has been going through a process of splitting in two and which is now being run by its third CEO in two years. Both companies are based in Paris.
Onepoint, in a filing with the AMF, which is the French equivalent of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, wrote that as of November 1, it owns 11.1 million shares in Atos representing 9.98 percent of that company’s capital and voting rights.
[Related: Atos In Transition: Hires Third CEO In Two Years As Restructuring Continues]
Atos, in response to Onepoint’s purchase of its shares, responded via a statement on its website that read in part, “We welcome Onepoint, a French company well recognized in the digital transformation space, as a new anchor investor of Atos and look forward to a constructive dialogue with them as with all other shareholders of the Group in the best interest of all stakeholders.”
Atos, which is ranked No. 25 in the CRN 2023 Solution Provider 500, responded to a CRN request for further information by referring to the company’s statement.
Atos’ total revenue in 2022 was 11.34 billion Euros, or about $12.02 billion as of March 1 when that revenue number was unveiled.
Atos is currently in a year-plus process of splitting itself into two separate companies.
This includes Tech Foundations, which is the Atos Group business line focused on managed services, hybrid cloud and infrastructure, employee experience, and technology services via decarbonized, automated, and AI-enabled solutions. Tech Foundations has about 52,000 employees and customers in 69 countries, and in 2022 had revenue of about 6.0 billion Euros, or about $6.6 billion.
The second part, Eviden, includes Atos’ digital, cloud, big data, and security business lines, and has a focus on data-driven and sustainable digital transformation. Eviden has about 57,000 employees working with clients in over 53 countries, with an annual revenue of about 5 billion Euros, or about $5.5 billion.
The company in August entered into an agreement with Luxembourg-based private equity firm EP Equity Investment for EPEI to acquire 100 percent of Atos’ Tech Foundations business in a deal with an enterprise value of 2.0 billion Euros, or $2.2 billion. That deal also includes the Atos brand name.
Onepoint is no stranger to Atos’ separation plans. Onepoint in September 2022 proposed to acquire Atos’ digital, big data, and security business known at the time as Evidian, which is not the same as Atos’ current Eviden business.
It has been a busy time for Atos. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in late July proposed a $2.2-billion purchase of Atos’ legacy operations. He already owns a 7.5-percent stake in Atos’ Eviden business. However, opposition lawmakers in France recently called for the government there to nationalize Atos to prevent foreign acquisition of the company’s assets.
Atos has also seen major changes in its upper management.
The company in October got a new chairman on an interim basis as Jean Pierre Mustier took over as non-executive chairman after Bertrand Meunier resigned.
Atos in October also brought on a new CEO, Yves Bernaert. Bernaert took over from Nourdine Bihmane, who became CEO of Atos Group in July of 2022. Bihmane took over as CEO from Rodolphe Belmer, who became CEO in October of 2021 after the sudden departure of then-CEO Elie Girard.