Retalix Ltd. Announces Acquisition of UNIT S.p.A, Italy
Ra’anana, Israel and Milano, Italy – August 9, 2004 – Retalix Ltd. (Nasdaq: RTLX) and Getronics S.p.A announced today that Retalix has acquired 51% of UNIT S.p.A., in a transaction that was completed on August 6, 2004. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Bollengo, Italy, UNIT is a fully owned subsidiary of Getronics S.p.A since 1999. UNIT delivers specialized software and hardware solutions for the food and petrol retail industries in Italy and Europe, and employs a team of 59 staff based in four sites (branches are located in Milan, Rome and Follonica). For the twelve months ended December 31, 2003, UNIT S.p.A. had revenues of approximately €8 million.
Getronics and Retalix will combine the expertise of the two companies in the areas of development, delivery, deployment and support of advanced retail solutions as a joint venture, focusing on the Italian and European food and fuel retail markets.
Roberto Schisano, Chairman & Managing Director of Getronics S.p.A., commented: “Joining with Retalix strengthens both companies and enables us to continue to deliver the Getronics retail solutions, with our excellent service and support, throughout Europe. We have been following Retalix’s growth and successes and are confident that this joint venture is the right move for our customers, employees and shareholders.”
Commenting on the acquisition, Barry Shaked, President and CEO of Retalix, said, “This is a significant acquisition for our company. Growing our international market and establishing Retalix presence in Europe, and particulary in Italy, were an important part of our goals in the past few years. We are confident that the combination of the innovative synchronized retail solutions from Retalix with UNIT’s retail expertise and local experience, as well as a successful partneship with Getronics, will enable a strong presence and significant growth for both companies in the Italian and other European retail markets.”
About UNIT S.p.A
Based in Bollengo, near Turin, has branches in Milan, Rome and Follonica. With years of experience, UNIT helps businesses operating in Retail and Petrol to improve their sales procedures and to achieve their goals, through innovative end-to-end solutions. UNIT manages all aspects of a project: hardware and software infrastructure, solution design, maintainance and post-sales support. UNIT is also active in the fields of networking consulting and installation, facility management and outsourcing.
About Getronics
With approximately 22,000 employees in over 30 countries and ongoing revenues of €2.6 billion in 2003, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor independent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions and services. Getronics designs, integrates and manages ICT infrastructures and business solutions for many of the world's largest global and local companies and organisations, helping them maximise the value of their information technology investments. Getronics is ranked second worldwide in network and desktop outsourcing and fourth worldwide in network consulting and integration (Source: IDC 2002-2003). Getronics headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston, Madrid and Singapore. Getronics' shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam ("GTN"). Getronics today combines the capabilities of the original Dutch company with those of Wang Global, acquired in 1999, and of the systems and services division of Olivetti.
About Retalix Ltd.
Retalix Ltd., with North American headquarters in Dallas, TX, provides integrated enterprise-wide software solutions for the global food and fuel retail industries, including supermarkets, convenience stores, fuel stations and restaurants. The Company offers a full suite of software applications that support a food retailer's essential retailing operations and enable retailers to increase their operating efficiencies while improving customer acquisition, retention and profitability. With installations in more than 30,000 stores and across 44 countries, the Company markets its software solutions through direct sales, distributors, local dealers and its various subsidiaries. For further information, please visit the Company's web site at www.retalix.com
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, the information presented herein constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, including revenues, income and expenses, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include risks relating to the Company’s anticipated future financial performance, continued roll-outs with existing customers, the market reception of its new e-marketplace and ASP services, the potential benefits to food and fuel retailers and suppliers, expansion into new geographic markets, the conversion of sales leads into customers and the ramp-up of ASP users, the integration of the Company’s acquisition of OMI and other factors over which Retalix may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. Readers are referred to the reports and documents filed by Retalix with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2003, for a discussion of these and other important risk factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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