French IT services company Groupe Atos has reported a net profit for the six months ended 31 March 1999 up 48%, at 24.5m euros ($25.6m) on revenue that increased 14%, to 540.5m euros ($565.6m). Earnings per share were up 47% at 1.16 euros ($1.21m). The Paris-based company attributed part of the growth to its outsourcing and systems integration businesses, whose revenues grew 26% and 17% respectively. Excluding pass-through content provider royalties, revenue from multimedia was up 21%. Other services, on the other hand, rose just 5%, and were impacted by slower than expected growth in the division’s new service offerings.
In announcing the results, Atos CEO Bernard Bourigeaud said he expects to announce a major outsourcing contract in the near future, outstripping the 140m-euro ($147m) deal it signed with UK retailer Cooperative Retail Services in October last year. Atos currently derives 30% of revenue from outside France, and Bourigeaud says he wants that figure to increase to 50% by the end of 2000. To that end, he is eyeing both the UK and German markets for acquisitions right now. The US is not on his shopping list, however, as our value-add is in Europe.
