BT set to acquire services firm

Telecoms group BT today revealed plans to snap up the public sector and corporate arm of a French IT company for around £40m (€59m).

The deal will see BT get its hands on Mission Critical Infrastructures, a division of IT firm CS Communication & Systemes.

The unit provides major corporate and public sector clients with a range of network IT services for building and maintaining IT infrastructures.

If the move meets regulatory approval in France and the UK, the unit would help extend BT’s global services division, which specialises in providing linked up networks to big corporate clients around the world.

BT has agreed to pay €60m for the business, which employs 1,400 people and generated revenues of €137.7m in 2006.

CS is an IT services company with leading positions within the defence, energy and utilities, aeronautics, telecoms, banking and public sectors. The Mission Critical Infrastructure business constitutes 39% of company sales, which hit €331.2m last year.

CS has given BT until November 30 to complete the acquisition, which is subject to various merger and other regulatory clearances.

BT’s global services division has operations in 70 countries and aims to build the world’s most advanced global IP network, as well as providing a range of connectivity options for voice, video and data communication services.