The enterprise business is to be retained within Alcatel-Lucent the company says to further strengthen servicing of network evolution and application enablement for enterprise customers, network operators and strategic industries.
Alcatel-Lucent has received a binding offer of US$1.5 billion for the acquisition of its Genesys business. The closing of the deal is subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), as well as to all necessary prior approvals and consultations in various countries. The purchase price of US$1.5 billion would be paid in cash on a debt/cash-free basis.
Genesys – which reported 2010 sales of approximately US$500 million - is the recognised leader in customer service software and contact centre solutions for enterprises. The deal would include the transfer of the approximately 1,800 employees worldwide, the management team and the existing business structure to ensure seamless continuity with customers and other stakeholders.
Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, said: “We have now positively concluded our evaluation of strategic options for both our Enterprise and Genesys businesses. Permira’s intended acquisition of Genesys would enable this profitable business to flourish further; with Enterprise, we have reached the conclusion that retaining it and strengthening it further serves Alcatel-Lucent and our customers best. Our chosen direction is to leverage the natural connections that exist between enterprise and carrier customers, and proactively apply Enterprise’s strengths and momentum in unified communications and data networking with them.”