Getronics NV, the Dutch IT services company, is in negotiations with Olivetti SpA to buy its 80.1% stake in software research arm Olivetti Ricerca.
The subsidiary, which has 500 staff at three centers in Southern Italy, offers software, applications and project development services for medium and large organizations. Among its credentials is the fact that it is a Microsoft Center of Expertise.
Following the completion its $2bn takeover of Wang Global Inc earlier this month (CI No 3,678), Getronics inherited a 19.9% stake in Olivetti Ricerca. With Olivetti desperate for cash following its successful $65bn bid for Telecom Italia, Getronics feels it has chosen the right moment to bid for an operation that can underpin its global offerings.
Olivetti Ricerca was set up in 1987 and now specializes in tailoring technology for clients in the finance, public administration, retail and telecommunications markets.
