SecurityWorldMarket

18/12/2017

Thales acquires Gemalto

Paris, France and Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Thales and Gemalto have confirmed reaching an agreement on a recommended all-cash offer for all issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Gemalto, for a price of €51 per share cum dividend.  The merger creates a global market leader in the fast-growing digital security market, supporting the most demanding clients in their digital transformation.

Patrice Caine, Thales’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The acquisition of Gemalto marks a key milestone in the implementation of Thales’s strategy. Together with Gemalto’s management, we have big ambitions based on a shared vision of the digital transformation of our industries and customers. Our project will be beneficial to innovation and employment, whilst respecting sovereign strategic technologies. We have a tremendous respect for Gemalto’s technological achievements, and our two Groups share the same culture and DNA. I would like to personally thank Gemalto’s management and Board of Directors for their unanimous support and I welcome warmly Gemalto’s 15,000 employees to our Group. By combining our talents, Thales and Gemalto are creating a global leader in digital security. ”

Philippe Vallée, Gemalto’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “I am convinced that the combination with Thales is the best and the most promising option for Gemalto and the most positive outcome for our Company, employees, clients, shareholders and other stakeholders. We share the same values and Gemalto will be able to pursue its strategy, accelerate its development and deliver its digital security vision, as part of Thales.”

Alex Mandl, Chairman of Gemalto’s Board of Directors, stated: “The Board of Directors, after full and careful review, together with its financial and legal advisors, of the various options available to the Company, has established unanimously that the Thales offer is in the best interests of Gemalto and all its stakeholders. As a result, the Gemalto Board of Directors unanimously recommends the Thales offer to its shareholders.”

Over the past three years, Thales has significantly increased its focus on digital technologies, investing over €1 billion in connectivity, cyber security, data analytics and artificial intelligence, in particular with the acquisition of Sysgo, Vormetric and Guavus. The integration of Gemalto strongly accelerates this strategy, reinforcing Thales’s digital offering, across its five vertical markets (aeronautics, space, ground transportation, defence and security). Altogether, this new business unit will represent c. 20% of pro forma Group revenues and rank among the top three players worldwide, with €3.5bn revenues in the fast growing digital security market.

The new combination creates a powerhouse with a solution portfolio including security software, expertise in biometrics and multifactor authentication and the issuance of secure digital and physical credentials. These technologies, which combine diverse and constantly evolving use cases, are expected to yield significant commercial opportunities and revenue synergies in the years ahead.

Thales will combine its digital businesses into Gemalto, which will continue to operate under its own brand as one of the seven Thales global business units. Philippe Vallée will lead the combined digital security business.

Gemalto and Thales are technology-driven companies with world-class R&D capabilities and an extensive patent portfolio. The combined Group will have more than 28,000 engineers, 3,000 researchers, and invests more than €1bn in self-funded R&D.


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