CENIT will become the largest Value Added Reseller of Dassault Systèmes and completes its PLM solution portfolio
Stuttgart, July 3, 2017 – On July 1, 2017, the Stuttgart IT and software consulting company CENIT AG consummated the acquisition of the French software implementation specialist KEONYS S.A.S. The software company with headquarters in Paris is now part of the CENIT group as a 100% owned subsidiary. Through this acquisition, CENIT continues to expand its international market strength as 3DEXPERIENCE and PLM IT specialist.
CENIT announced its intended takeover of the French IT and software specialist KEONYS S.A.S. in December 2016. After examination and successful completion of the contract negotiations, the acquisition was legally and effectively executed: As of immediately, KEONYS is part of the CENIT group as a 100% owned subsidiary. The future common path of the two IT & software companies brings a strategic strengthening as well as further growth potential for the international PLM business of CENIT – with regard to the expertise as well as territorial: KEONYS has successfully operated as a provider for solutions in the areas of PLM and 3D design for almost 10 years and ranks among the largest European integrators and resellers of the PLM solutions of Dassault Systèmes. With a customer base of around 1,500 companies and revenue of around 56 million Euro (2016), KEONYS is strongly represented particularly in France and the BENELUX countries. CENIT, one of the leading IT and software specialists in the field of PLM-based engineering for almost 30 years, furthermore advances to the largest Value Added Reseller of Dassault Systèmes solutions worldwide through this acquisition.
Together to greater competitiveness and market strength
Following the acquisition, KEONYS will continue to operate as an independent company in its customer markets and will fully utilize its reputation as well as process and solution expertise. The notation, “KEONYS – A CENIT COMPANY”, in the company name will from now on point out the unity of the two companies. Kurt Bengel, spokesperson for the management board of CENIT AG, will have the role of the CEO of the French subsidiary in addition to his present position. Operational responsibility within KEONYS falls upon Martin Grunau (Managing Direction of CENIT France to date).
“The acquisition of KEONYS fits ideally into the growth strategy of CENIT and marks an important milestone for us as a partner in the digital transformation: Strategically it is a step towards greater competitiveness and market strength – and therefore sustainability. Operationally, the merger means a completion of our PLM solution portfolio, utilization of potentials from the combined industry and market expertise as well as access to new customer segments,” explains Kurt Bengel, spokesperson for the management of CENIT AG. “We are also pleased to be gaining excellent specialists – and we are looking very positively at the future common path,” he adds.
The right step into the future
The first operational steps of the merger are already in progress: Employees at the Stuttgart facility of KEONYS have already moved their offices to the Stuttgart headquarters of CENIT. An integration of the French CENIT facility, CENIT Lyon, into the company structure of KEONYS is to occur analogously. Long-term, KEONYS will furthermore offer the complete PLM portfolio of CENIT as well as the respective technical expertise in its customer markets. This should achieve further growth and shape the market strength of the French CENIT subsidiary.
Isabelle Yung-Lafargue, President of KEONYS S.A.S. to date, notes: “The affiliation to the CENIT group opens up clear potentials for KEONYS: Due to synergies from the collaboration with CENIT, we can advise our existing, as well as new, customers even more comprehensively in the future – along their total digital value chain. This in turn contributes to the joint success of CENIT and KEONYS. Very clearly, the acquisition was the right step into the future.”