Hitachi Systems is to acquire Italian IT service company Cosmic Blue Team (CBT) and make it into a wholly-owned subsidiary.
With this acquisition, expected to be completed by March, Hitachi Systems aims to shore up its IT services business in the IT markets in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.
The Hitachi Group has been pushing ahead with global expansion of its social innovation business for resolving issues facing society and customers by achieving innovations with solutions that combine its products, services and information technology.
Particularly in the Information & Telecommunication Systems Business, the Hitachi Group defines the expansion of its global service business as one of its priority measures.
Under these circumstances, Hitachi Systems, as a core company of the Information & Telecommunication Systems Business in the Hitachi Group, has carried out studies aimed at securing a business footing and at expanding business with a view towards offering managed services that include monitoring and operations to support stable system operation, cloud services, data centre services and security services in the European region.
CBT is one of the leading IT service providers in Italy. For around 35 years, it has offered a wide variety of IT services, including system design and construction, operation and maintenance, application development, cloud services and data centre services. In recent years, it has considered shifting from the system construction business to the managed services business in which high rate growth is expected.
Hitachi Systems and CBT will combine their products, services, technologies, know-how and management resources to offer a wide variety of IT services centred on managed services, cloud services and data centre services to local companies, Japanese companies and other foreign companies in Italy. Italy is one of the key IT service markets in Europe.
By adding CBT to its group, Hitachi Systems will embark on its IT services business in Italy and gain a business footing in Europe. Hitachi Systems aims to expand its IT services business in European IT markets in collaboration with the Hitachi Group companies based in Europe.
“I am very glad to have CBT as a new member of the Hitachi Systems Group,” says Naoya Takahashi, president and CEO of Hitachi Systems. “Italy is one of the key IT service markets in Europe. It is so promising that steady market growth is anticipated.
“In particular, the sectors of IT infrastructure and cloud services, in which Hitachi Systems is strong, are expected to make particularly rapid growth. Hitachi Systems will be positively promoting to European firms its advanced IT services that will be generated by integrating CBT’s solid customer base and IT service infrastructure in Italy with its own technologies and services.”
Paolo Angelucci, president and CEO of CBT, adds: “I feel very happy that CBT’s participation in the Hitachi Systems Group will enable CBT to make a significant step forward towards achieving its business strategy. CBT is one of Italy’s leading IT service providers with six offices and two solid data centre bases in Italy and partnerships with over 25 major IT vendors and over 1 200 certifications and qualifications.
“I am convinced that CBT will expand dramatically its IT service business based on a multivendor approach in Europe by capitalising on its 35-year track record, advanced technical capabilities and a broad array of IT services, service bases and partnerships that cover all of Italy in addition to Hitachi Systems’ ample technologies, brand power and management resources.”
