Reuters: Atos in Talks to Sell Tech Foundations Operations
Insider Brief
- Reuters is reporting that Daniel Kretinsky is interested in purchasing Atos’s legacy operations.
- The deal is expected to be work 2 billion euros.
- The French government considers the cybersecurity and supercomputer arm of the company to be too strategic to be part of the sale.
- It’s too soon to determine the long-term effects of the sale on the quantum side of the business.
PRESS RELEASE — Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is currently in discussions to purchase Atos’s legacy operations in a substantial 2 billion-euro ($2.20 billion) deal, according to Reuters. This acquisition aims to help the French company refocus on its cybersecurity and cloud assets while simultaneously reducing its debt burden, the news service added.
Eviden is the quantum computing company and a business of Atos. It also offers AI solutions for HPC, edge computing, computer vision, HPCaaS, and simulation. Eviden launched Qaptiva
, a platform for developing, running and deploying quantum computing applications. Qaptiva is billed as an all-in-one platform for real-world quantum computing applications.
Kretinsky has a successful background in the energy sector and has been actively expanding his business empire in Europe.
The sale of Atos’s Tech Foundations business, which provides infrastructure management services, would mark the end of the European IT giant’s initial turnaround plan, which involved splitting the company into two listed entities, Reuters reports.
According to Reuters, following the acquisition by Kretinsky’s EP Equity Investment (EPEI) vehicle, the Tech Foundations business will retain the Atos brand. Meanwhile, the existing listed entity will be restructured and renamed as Eviden, grouping together assets that the French state considers strategic, such as the cybersecurity unit BDS and supercomputers.
Will It Affect Quantum?
Whether the move impacts the quantum side of Eviden’s business remains to be seen. The news does not directly address this aspect, however. The shift in focus towards cybersecurity and cloud assets could mean that Eviden may invest more in cutting-edge technologies like quantum computing to enhance its offerings and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
This strategic move may also open new opportunities for Eviden to explore quantum technologies and integrate them into their services, potentially leading to advancements and innovations in the quantum aspect of their business.
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