And says deal means “No change to fulfilment strategy”
Comptel has sold to Cisco the fulfilment software it acquired when it bought Axiom Systems in 2008.
Cisco, a partner of Comptel, is buying the Axioss fulfilment software that forms part of Comptel’s Fulfilment Solution. Axioss assets are related to fulfilment software for operators’ IP services such as VPNs.
Olivier Suard, Marketing Director, said that the company would retain IP fulfilment capability after the sale. A release from the company said that it is building its next release of the Comptel Fulfillment Solution on a new technology platform that will be released in the first half of 2012. Comptel will also retain its existing Axioss customer relationships and will continue to support these customers.
“The message is that we are still very much in the fulfilment business, and it is [stated] in the deal that we can continue to support customers in that area,” he said.
Suard’s comments reflected that of Juhani Hintikka, CEO, who was quoted in Comptel’s press release as saying: “This does not change our fulfilment strategy, which is to achieve growth and the market-leader position for convergent telecom service providers.”
In 2008, Comptel paid €8.9 million for Axiom Systems Holdings Limited. Today it is selling the Axioss software business for €21.3 million.
Suard, who desribed the deal as “a good one”, said that the money would be invested in the continued development of products and services, including fulfilment.
“Our CEO is very much of the view that we need to invest to grow,” Suard said, “and this deal gives us both the incentive and the resource to invest even more.”
Gareth Senior, current Comptel CTO, will move to Cisco as part of the deal, as will some other staff. Suard said it has not been decided whether the office of CTO will be retained after Senior’s departure. Suard said that some of the functions of the office will move to Comptel’s Product and Solutions Unit.
Comptel said that the transaction is estimated to close in September 2011 and that Comptel and Cisco will continue their cooperation across other areas of OSS/BSS, including cloud mediation and charging.
The loss of Axioss would impact net sales by €2 million for the 2011, financial year, the company said. Comptel revised its full-year guidance, saying that in 2011 net sales are estimated to remain at the previous year’s level or to decrease slightly.