2023-08-03 15:16:00
Less than 48 hours following billionaire Daniel Kretinksy announced the takeover of the outsourcing branch (maintenance of IT infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity) of the giant Atos by billionaire Daniel Kretinksy, part of the political class is making its voice heard. While the operation must be finalized at the end of the year, 82 senators and deputies Les Républicains estimated that, even in crisis, the computer group Atos must be “absolutely maintained under the French bosom”. In fact, they alert to the fact that the Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky is regarding to get his hands on the strategic activities of supercomputers.
These supercomputers, resulting from the activity of Bull taken over by Atos, are essential to the simulations of nuclear tests which are used for the development of atomic weapons and therefore for the credibility of French deterrence, they recall in a column published on the website of Figaro.
“However, this capacity, maintained at the highest level in the world, is now greatly threatened by the deep crisis affecting Atos”they believe, now judging “possible, in theory, to access France’s strategic computing capacities through a back door: that of a low-cost takeover bid”.
The authors of the forum, signed in particular by Bruno Retailleau and the president and vice-president of the Senate Defense Committee, Christian Cambon and Cédric Perrin, are concerned regarding the sale of the very sensitive cybersecurity and computer activities now sheltered in the Eviden entity, which will be split from Atos.
“The hypothesis of seeing such a powerful foreign actor approaching our ultra-sensitive military capabilities deserves all our attention, especially since he is not familiar with the field of ICT” (information and communication technologies, editor’s note), they warn.
According to them, “Atos’ financial situation is now such that it is no longer so certain that Evidian (renamed Eviden, editor’s note) will be protected”.
A stake in Eviden
With Daniel Kretinsky, “we bring the wolf into the sheepfold”told AFP Senator Cédric Perrin, who regrets that a French offer carried by Astek Development and Chapsvision, is not absolutely not considered.
In addition to the takeover operation on an estimated valuation of 2 billion dollars, a capital increase of Atos is also planned. EP Equity Investment (EPEI), a holding company of Daniel Kretinsky, will invest a total of 217.5 million and will thus hold 7.5% of Eviden. The Czech billionaire also wants to include in the operation the company Fimalac of the businessman Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière – already his partner in the ongoing rescue of the distributor Casino -, indicated Atos.
The transaction will be submitted for shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting to be held at the end of the year. The transaction ” expected to be completed in Q4 2023 or Q1 2024 “, according to the document.
Since the departure in 2019 of its CEO Thierry Breton, who became European Commissioner, the Atos group has accumulated more than 4 billion euros in losses and its valuation has fallen by more than 84%. On the stock market, the group continued to unscrew, down more than 47% over one month and since the publication of its results, for a price of 7.47 euros per share on Thursday August 3.
(With AFP)
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