Omni (Abacus Billing) provides billing and customer care software solutions in a service bureau mode, mainly to European carriers that require complex solutions, with a strong convergent offering and using web-enabled daily reporting and billing. Omni is based in the London metro area, has over 30 employees and a unique and extremely strong methodology for its outsourced offering, supported by regulatory accreditations from UK’s Ofcom and Reg-TP of Germany.
"Carriers around the world are lately looking more into the managed services option and we are now better positioned to capitalise on this trend,” said Monica Eisinger, chief executive officer of MIND. "Abacus Billing’s solid reputation and proven expertise in the European market, its strong existing customer relationships, and a great team of people, complement MIND's strong management, deep industry knowledge, financial backing and global resources. We believe that this acquisition puts MIND in a good position for increased success in the European market."
The new division will continue to be led by Karl Wills, CEO of Abacus Billing, and the current management team. Karl has been with Abacus since 2000, serving initially as COO and from 2001 leading the company as CEO. He has more than twenty-five years of international business experience in information technology and telecommunications and also has considerable expertise in general management and logistics. Prior to joining Abacus, Karl held a number of senior management roles, including Senior Director of International Logistics at EMI music and European Solutions Director at Metapack. He holds a Masters degree in Business Science from the University of Manchester, and is a Visiting Fellow at Manchester Business School, focusing on IT Strategy.
"The team at Abacus Billing is enthusiastic about becoming part of a larger, public company with both global reach and financial strength. This transaction allows Abacus Billing to better support its customers by combining and enlarging the software development and deployment teams.
Furthermore, it will capitalise on the position that Abacus has attained in Smart Meter Information and Billing" said Karl Wills, president of Abacus Billing Limited. "Our existing and potential customers will benefit from the greater comprehensive product range and extended capabilities leaving us well placed to take on even more complex projects for carriers and resellers offering prepaid and postpaid multiple services convergence."
Oren Bryan, chief financial officer of MIND commented: "Under the terms of the acquisition, MIND acquires Abacus Billing for up to approximately $7.4 million (£3.6 million) in cash, of which £2.88 million in cash is to be paid upon closing and a maximum performance related earn-out of £720 thousand is to be paid over the next 2 years. The transaction is expected to be neutral to earnings per share, excluding acquisition-related items, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, and accretive to earnings per share, excluding acquisition-related items, in fiscal 2008 and thereafter."