Empresas y finanzas
Wipro to Acquire Infocrossing
Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro
Limited (NYSE:WIT), and Infocrossing, Inc. (NASDAQ:IFOX), a US-based
provider of IT infrastructure management, enterprise application and
business process outsourcing services, today announced that the
companies have signed a definitive agreement for Wipro to acquire
Infocrossing for $18.70 per share in an all cash deal that will create
one of the world leaders in end-to-end IT infrastructure management
solutions. The acquisition will be conducted by means of a tender
offer for all of the outstanding shares of Infocrossing, followed by a
merger of Infocrossing with a Wipro subsidiary. The tender offer is
subject to a number of customary closing conditions, including
regulatory approvals, and is expected to close by the fourth quarter
of 2007.
"Wipro Technologies has identified global infrastructure services
as an important driver of growth for the company and is pleased to add
Infocrossing, which provides integrated managed infrastructure
services to premier global clients," said Suresh Vaswani, President,
Global IT Service-lines, of Wipro. "Total Outsourcing Services, which
include our IT infrastructure services, grew 75% in the past year
proving global clients are increasingly realizing the value of these
services. This acquisition of an acknowledged industry leader broadens
the data center and mainframe capabilities of Wipro Technologies to
uniquely position us in the remote infrastructure management space.
Through Infocrossing we are deepening our presence in the United
States with the addition of five data center locations and
approximately nine hundred employees." Sudip Banerjee, President
Enterprise Solutions of Wipro Technologies added, "With its unique
Platform based solutions, Infocrossing also brings in significant
expertise in Health plan & Payer Management segments. With its proven
track record of processing over 175 million claims annually and
providing contracted services to over 90 managed care organizations,
Infocrossing will considerably enhance Wipro's ADM & BPO offerings to
our Healthcare customers."
The global IT infrastructure market has been projected to be $150
billion and the global market opportunity for remote infrastructure
management services has been predicted to reach $70 billion, according
to industry association NASSCOM. Infocrossing's expertise in hosted
and managed IT infrastructure services will enhance Wipro's current
service offerings. The Company operates five state-of-the art data
centers in the United States and provides a full portfolio of
infrastructure management solutions, including server management,
mainframe outsourcing, network management and security services. For
the twelve months ended March 31, 2007, Infocrossing had revenues of
$232.4 million and net income of $9.3 million.
"Infocrossing is pleased to be joining such a strong global
organization such as Wipro Technologies," said Zach Lonstein, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of Infocrossing. "We selected Wipro after
conducting a full process and believe that by coupling our strong
services and U.S.-based operations with the global delivery model of
Wipro Technologies, we will be able to drive additional value for the
shareholders and clients of both our companies."
Wipro was advised on the transaction by Citigroup and represented
by the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, and
Infocrossing was advised by Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and
represented by the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
Wipro and Infocrossing will hold a conference call with investors
on Monday, August 6, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the announcement.
The call-in number for the live audio call beginning at 2:20 p.m. ET
is 1-973-633-1010. A live web cast of the conference call will also be
available on Infocrossing's website at http://www.infocrossing.com.
The webcast may also be accessed at ViaVid's website at
www.viavid.net. To access the webcast, you will need to have the
Windows Media Player on your desktop. This event is optimized for
Microsoft's Windows media player version 9. To download go to
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download. Wipro and
Infocrossing will also hold a conference call on Tuesday August 7,
2007 at 7:00 am Indian Standard Time (9:30 pm US Eastern Time on
Monday, August 6, 2007) to discuss the acquisition and answer
questions sent to email ID: rajesh.ramaiah@wipro.com. An audio
broadcasting of the management discussions and the question and answer
session will be available online and will be accessible in the
Investor Relations section of the company website at www.wipro.com.
The dial-in details of the call are +91 22 2781 3019 / +91 22 6776
3709. Replay numbers are +91 22 6776 3709 (Replay available till
September 6, 2007).
Additional Information
The tender offer described in this press release has not yet
commenced, and this press release is neither an offer to purchase nor
a solicitation of an offer to sell Infocrossing, Inc.'s
("Infocrossing") common stock. Investors and security holders are
urged to read both the tender offer statement and the
solicitation/recommendation statement regarding the tender offer
described in this press release when they become available because
they will contain important information. The tender offer statement
will be filed by Wipro Limited ("Wipro") with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and the solicitation/recommendation
statement will be filed by Infocrossing with the SEC. Investors and
security holders may obtain a free copy of these statements (when
available) and other documents filed by Infocrossing or Wipro with the
SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. The tender
offer statement and related materials, solicitation/recommendation
statement, and such other documents may be obtained for free by
directing such requests to Infocrossing, Inc., Investor Relations, 2
Christie Heights Street, Leonia, New Jersey 07605, (201) 840-4700.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. As such, final results could differ from estimates or
expectations due to risks and uncertainties, including, but not
limited to: incomplete or preliminary information; changes in
government regulations and policies; continued acceptance of the
Company's products and services in the marketplace; competitive
factors; closing contracts with new customers and renewing contracts
with existing customers on favorable terms; expanding services to
existing customers; new products; technological changes; the Company's
dependence upon third-party suppliers; intellectual property rights;
difficulties with the identification, completion, and integration of
acquisitions; and other risks. For any of these factors, the Company
claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking
statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, as amended.
About Wipro
Wipro provides comprehensive IT solutions and services, including
systems integration, information systems outsourcing, package
implementation, software application development and maintenance, and
research and development services to corporations globally. Wipro
Limited is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified IT
Services company globally. Wipro's Global IT Services business was
recently assessed at Level 5 for CMMI V 1.2 across Offshore and Onsite
development centers. In the Indian market, Wipro is a leader in
providing IT solutions and services for the corporate segment in India
offering system integration, network integration, software solutions
and IT services. Wipro also has a profitable presence in niche market
segments of infrastructure engineering, and consumer products &
lighting. In the Asia Pacific and Middle East markets, Wipro provides
IT solutions and services for global corporations. Wipro's ADSs are
listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and our equity shares are
listed in India on the Stock Exchange - Mumbai, and the National Stock
Exchange. For more information, please visit our websites at
www.wipro.com, www.wiprocorporate.com and www.wipro.in
About Infocrossing
Infocrossing, Inc. (NASDAQ:IFOX) is a provider of selective IT
infrastructure, enterprise application and business process
outsourcing services delivering the computing platforms and
proprietary systems that enable companies, regardless of industry, to
process data and share information within their business, and between
their customers, suppliers and distribution channels. Leading
companies leverage Infocrossing's robust computing infrastructure,
skilled technical team, and process-driven operations to reduce costs
and improve service delivery by outsourcing the operation of
mainframes, mid-range, open system servers, networks and business
processes to Infocrossing.