Telecom Lead Europe: Wireless equipment major Ericsson is set to buy Devoteam Telecom & Media to improve IT capabilities.
The acquisition is part of Ericsson’s plan to strengthen its consulting and systems integration capabilities.
Ericsson already has 12,000 consulting and systems integration professionals who deliver more than 1,500 consulting, systems integration and learning services projects in multivendor and multi-technology environments each year.
400 IT-services professionals will join Ericsson from Devoteam Telecom & Media, a provider of ICT consulting with 5000 employees in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Ericsson did not share financial details of the deal that includes also the acquisition of TV SmartVision operations.
Ericsson says Devoteam Telecom & Media’s main competences are in the areas of consulting and systems integration for operations and business support systems, service delivery platforms and applications, IP Multimedia Subsystems, IP and radio networks and TV. The acquisition complements Ericsson’s existing strengths in these fields, both in the operator and media segments.
“Acquiring activities of Devoteam adds expertise in complex, strategic and technical consulting engagements that will enable us to enhance the value that we bring to our customers,” said Magnus Mandersson, Ericsson’s Executive Vice President and Head of Business Unit Global Services. “It is proof of Ericsson’s commitment to act as the partner of choice for the business transformation currently taking place within the telecommunications industry.”
This transaction fits with Devoteam’s 2015 strategic plan.
“It will allow us to focus more on innovation around the Devoteam’s value proposition. Ericsson is a key business partner of Devoteam – notably in UK and Mediterranean countries – and we hope that this transaction will further strengthen our relationship. Devoteam Telecom & Media’s team in France will benefit from Ericsson’s end-to-end know-how, scale and global presence,” said Derek Nutley, Telecoms Director at Devoteam.
