TietoEnator has acquired the business operations of Sofnetix Oy, a Finnish company specializing in software development for wireless and mobile systems and based in Oulu.
This acquisition is strengthening the R&D units of TietoEnator's Telecom & Media business area in Oulu, and supports the Group's telecom and media strategy to grow through local key accounts. TietoEnator is a leading European provider of R&D services to the telecom industry.
Founded in 1998, Sofnetix had net sales totalling EUR 3.4 million in 2005 with 34 employees. The company focuses on software development for wireless communications network and terminal products. Its customers are the leading manufacturers in the telecom business. The employees of Sofnetix will be transferred to TietoEnator, which already has 300 IT professionals in Oulu, most of them working in R&D. The agreement comes into effect on 1 March 2006.
"Sofnetix brings special know-how that will strengthen our R&D expertise and operations, especially in close proximity to our customers in Oulu," states Ari Vanhanen, President of Telecom & Media. Several large global companies have outsourced some of their R&D services to TietoEnator and Vanhanen expects this growth to continue. "Our offering is global in scope but we want to develop our expertise and service portfolio in Finland as well," Ari Vanhanen continues, adding that he believes the Sofnetix business and employees will generate synergy benefits for TietoEnator.
"Sofnetix's goal is to gain a stronger foothold for the special know-how it has developed, and also to take on larger projects and customer accounts. The major customers in the telecom business are outsourcing increasingly large areas of their operations to service providers, but these providers in turn need to be big enough to succeed in this competitive environment. I believe that TietoEnator is the best solution for us as we seek to respond to our growing customer needs," says Harri Perunka, Managing Director of Sofnetix. He is confident that the deal will offer the company's employees new challenges within an international and expanding organization.