EDS INTERNATIONAL BV

EDS en SABRE tekenen miljarden contract in de VS

EDS en SABRE tekenen miljarden contract in de VS

EDS, wereldwijd toonaangevend op het gebied van IT dienstverlening en SABRE, dat dienstverlening en technologie levert voor de reiswereld, tekenden dinsdag 13 maart 2001 een drietal overeenkomsten. Hierdoor wordt EDS wereldwijd de grootste IT-dienstverlener voor de luchtvaart industrie.
De belangrijkste componenten van deze overeenkomsten zijn: Aquisitie ter waarde van $ 670 miljoen door EDS van Sabres volledige luchtvaart-infrastructuur, outsourcing contracten en interne IT infrastructuur.
Een 10-jarig service contract voor Sabres IT-systemen ter waarde van $2,2 miljard
Overname van ongeveer 4.200 medewerkers (wereldwijd) van Sabre door EDS
Een marketingovereenkomst voor het ontwikkelen en marketenvan nieuwe software en diensten ten behoeve van de reis- en transportsector Met deze overeenkomst verstevigt EDS haar belangen in de luchtvaart enorm. Bovendien is deze transactie voor EDS een belangrijke uitbreiding in het groeiende segment van strategic infrastructure outsourcing Zowel Sabre als EDS verstevigen hun positie en groeikansen op de wereldmarkt. Door het gezamenlijk opereren in kunnen Sabres producten en diensten op het gebied van IT-luchtvaartdiensten gecombineerd worden met EDS dienstverlening op het gebied van Information Solutions, Business Proces Management en Management Consultancy.
Sabre is een toonaangevende leverancier van dienstverlening en technologie voor de reisindustrie. Haar hoofdkantoor is gevestigd in Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas. Met bijna 10.000 werknemers verspreid over 45 landen realiseerde zij in 2000 een omzet van $2,6 miljard. Voor additionele informatie over Sabre kunt terecht u op de internetsite www.sabre.com
EDS is wereldwijd al meer dan 37 jaar een toonaangevend IT-dienstverlener. Het bedrijf is actief op het gebied van management consultancy, electronic commerce, business process management, systeembeheer en ontwikkeling. EDS stelt zich ten doel informatietechnologie voor haar klanten in te zetten ter verbetering van hun bedrijfsprocessen en concurrentiepostitie in de digitale economie.
EDS is actief in 55 landen en partner voor s-werelds meest vooraanstaande bedrijven en overheden. In Nederland is EDS ondermeer gevestigd in Capelle a/d IJssel, Leidschendam, Spijkenisse, Maarssen, Leeuwarden en Veenendaal. Tot haar Nederlandse cliëntele behoren bedrijven zoals Aegon, de Nederlandse Spoorwegen, DSM, Rijkswaterstaat en NUON.
Voor meer informatie kunt u EDS bezoeken op internet www.eds.com of op www.eds.nl Een uitgebreid persbericht in het Engels is ter informatie toegevoegd.

EDS
Capelle aan den IJssel, 15 maart 2001

MEDIA CONTACT:

Théda W. Page Whitehead Sabre
(+1) (817) 967-1859
theda.whitehead@sabre.com

Stephen Holder EDS
(+1) (972) 797-9513
stephen.holder@eds.com

EDS and Sabre Sign Multi-Billion Dollar Transaction

Sabre increases focus on core businesses to drive higher growth; EDS becomes the number one IT service provider for airline industry

PLANO, Texas/FORT WORTH, Texas (March 15, 2001) EDS (NYSE: EDS) and Sabre (NYSE: TSG) today announced the signing of three agreements, building on both companies strengths and creating a new business model to better serve the needs of the airline industry, travel agencies, travel suppliers, and business and consumer travelers. Key components of the transaction include:
Acquisition by EDS of Sabres airline infrastructure outsourcing business and internal IT infrastructure assets for $670 million. Sabre will also retain net working capital of $108 million, bringing the total value of the agreement to Sabre to $778 million. Sabre awards a 10-year $2.2 billion service contract to EDS to manage Sabres IT systems;
Agreement between EDS and Sabre to jointly market IT solutions and services to the travel and transportation industry; Approximately 4,200 Sabre employees will transition to EDS. The transaction takes full advantage of both companies' strengths. Sabre focuses on its core leadership areas of travel distribution, marketing services and software products, and positions itself for faster growth and more profitability. EDS becomes the number one provider of global IT infrastructure services to the airline industry, adding the strength of carriers like American Airlines and US Airways to its existing list of premier airline clients. These clients include Continental, AeroMexico, Mexicana, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and America West.

This transaction will expand EDSfootprint in one of the economys growth segments strategic infrastructure outsourcing. Further, the transaction produces significant synergies for both EDS and Sabre and positions both companies for global market growth. The transaction is subject to customary government approvals, with closing expected by mid-year.
With the cash proceeds and expected savings from the outsourcing agreement, Sabre expects the transaction to be slightly accretive to its earnings for 2001 and accretive in 2002 and 2003. EDS expects the transaction to be neutral to its earnings per share in 2001, and accretive thereafter. EDS expects significant additional revenue potential from its strengthened leadership position in the airline industry, further enhancing the economics of the transaction.
The transaction combines Sabre's software portfolio and travel marketing and distribution expertise with EDS' processing scale and integration capabilities. In joint marketing approaches, Sabre and EDS will offer airlines new strategic solutions that enhance Sabre's portfolio of products with EDS' full spectrum of technology, business process and consulting offerings. Sabre will also be able to increase R&D investments to develop next-generation applications for travel agencies, travel suppliers and online travel sites for both consumers and corporations.
This transaction is a substantial win for EDS shareholders. It capitalizes on our global IT infrastructure scale and strengthens EDS position in an industry in which IT spending is estimated at $9-$10 billion this yearsaid EDS Chairman and CEO Dick Brown. This is what EDS does best managing this kind of business by operating it and leveraging it through our global technology infrastructure for maximum efficiency
With this series of transactions, Sabre expects to generate faster revenue and earnings growth for our shareholders, said William Hannigan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sabre. We will focus our resources and investments on the high growth areas of travel marketing and distribution and software products, and continue to drive fundamental changes in the industry through superior technology, product development and new marketing services.

As part of the transaction:
EDS will acquire Sabres airline infrastructure outsourcing assets, resources and contracts, as well as internal IT infrastructure assets, for $670 million. Sabre will retain net working capital of $108 million. The sale will include Sabres outsourcing contracts with leading airlines such as American Airlines and US Airways. The acquired business generated about $600 million in revenues for Sabre in 2000. The transaction will include all of Sabres data centers and data management assets and resources -- including its Tulsa, Oklahoma, data center, one of the largest real-time processing facilities in the private sector as well as Sabres desktop and mid-range computer management systems. These assets are used both for Sabres outsourcing and Web hosting businesses and for transaction processing. Sabre will retain its core travel marketing and distribution business, including intellectual property and assets, as well as other businesses that are highly synergistic to the core business. Those retained businesses include its applications software products suite, software intellectual property and reservations hosting business, which were part of the companys Outsourcing and Software Solutions business unit, and other emerging business activities. Sabre will outsource to EDS the management of its IT systems, enabling Sabre to focus on its core competencies. The agreement is expected to generate cost savings for Sabre. Projected revenue from this outsourcing agreement for EDS is valued at approximately $2.2 billion over 10 years. EDS will provide a full range of IT outsourcing services to Sabre, including data center management, applications hosting, selected applications development, data assurance and network management.
EDS and Sabre will collaborate in marketing efforts, which are expected to provide both companies access to new customers and business development opportunities. The agreement will enable Sabre to further penetrate both the airline and travel marketing distribution markets. Sabre and EDS will jointly market Sabre]s world class portfolio of airline software solutions, combined with EDS global technology capabilities, e-business consulting and channel development expertise and its A.T. Kearney high-value consulting practice. As part of the joint agreement, EDS will contribute approximately $20 million over the next two years for product development in Sabres software business, in particular to adapt Sabres airline software portfolio to an Applications Service Provider model. EDS expects to profit from this investment through a revenue-sharing agreement.
As part of the joint marketing agreement, EDS intends over time to merge its airline solutions software portfolio with Sabres. EDS will continue to develop and operate these products as part of the outsourcing contract. Additionally, EDS has agreed to move all of its travel bookings to the Sabre system and will also implement Sabres GetThere corporate booking platform throughout its organization. About 4,200 Sabre employees, located mostly in the United States, are expected to transition into employment with EDS upon closing of the agreement. Weve run an outstanding infrastructure outsourcing operation, so our employees will be an excellent addition to the EDS team,Hannigan said.
EDS has a long history of successfully transitioning employees into our company said Brown. We welcome Sabre employees to a new career and new possibilities with EDS.

About EDS: EDS, the leading global services company, provides strategy, implementation and hosting for clients managing the business and technology complexities of the digital economy. EDS brings together the worlds best technologies to address critical client business imperatives. It helps clients eliminate boundaries, collaborate in new ways, establish their customerstrust and continuously seek improvement. EDS, with its management consulting subsidiary, A.T. Kearney, serves the worlds leading companies and governments in 55 countries. EDS reported revenues of $19.2 billion in 2000. The companys stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EDS) and the London Stock Exchange. Learn more at www.eds.com.

About Sabre: Sabre is the leading provider of technology and marketing services for the travel industry. Headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, the company has nearly 10,000 employees worldwide who span 45 countries. Sabre reported 2000 revenues of US$2.6 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent from 1999. Sabre maintains an ownership interest of approximately 70 percent in Travelocity.com (Nasdaq: TVLY), the worlds leading online B2C travel site.

Statements in this news release that are not purely historical facts, including statements about a possible transaction involving Sabres information technology outsourcing business, Sabres expected revenue or earnings growth or outsourcing cost savings; the impact of these transactions on EDS revenues and earnings and the value of the related contracts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Sabre and EDS on the date of this release. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Sabre and EDS control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. This includes risks related to: Sabres relationships with American Airlines and US Airways and their affiliates; and the relationship of such entities with EDS following completion of this transaction; the integration and migration of IT operations by Sabre and EDS; competition and technological innovation by competitors; risks related to Sabres technology; seasonality of the travel industry and booking revenues; sensitivity to general economic conditions and events that affect airline travel; risks associated with Sabres international operations; and legal and regulatory issues. Further information regarding important factors that could affect EDS and Sabres financial and other results is included in the risk factors section of Sabres most recent Form 10-K filing and in EDSmost recent form 10-Q filing with the Securities Exchange Commission. EDS and Sabre undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Conference Calls: EDS and Sabre will hold conference calls with the investment community to discuss todays announcement. The public is invited to participate on a listen-only basis.

The Sabre call will be at 7:00 a.m. Central time Domestic dial-in number (800) 559.9370
International dial-in number (847) 619.6368 A replay will be available immediately following the call until close of business on April 15, 2001:
Domestic U.S. (888) 843-8996
Passcode: 3653275
Replay: International: (630) 652-3044
Passcode: 3653275

The EDS call will be at 7:45 a.m. Central time
U.S. dial-in number: (800) 559-2403
International dial-in number: (847) 619-6534. A replay will be available for one week:
U.S. (888) 843-8996 passcode 3684266 International (630) 652-3044 passcode 3684266 The Sabre conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet at http://www.sabre.com/investor.
The EDS conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet at http://www.eds.com/announcement

16 mrt 01 11:31