In a story most people appear to have missed, Control Data Systems Inc, Arden Hills, Minnesota is currently engaged in selling off what appears to be most of its international operations to acquisition-hungry integrator and value-added reseller AmeriData Technologies Inc of Stamford, Connecticut for $34m in cash. AmeriData has formed its first international subsidiary, InterData Inc, to oversee Control Data operations in Canada, Mexico, UK, Austria, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Taiwan, China and Malaysia (CI No 2,645). The deal should be completed this month. Ameridata reported turnover of $1,020m in 1994, up from just $6.4m in 1992. Its most significant recent buy was that of The Whitlock Group, a Glen Allen, Virginia reseller, but it also bought $67m-a-year Houston integrator Microcomputer Power Group Inc and The Abacus Group Inc, a $23m a year New Orleans-based reseller. It is buying product integration and maintenance operations from Control Data and about 1,000 employees will transfer. Control Data says the sale is part of its strategy to focus on its core competencies in electronic commerce, product data management, and client-server integration; it will be left with about 1,800 employees staffing business operations in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Nether lands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, Asia, and the US. From these regional centres, it says it intends to continue to provide network integration service and support worldwide.
