The FINANCIAL -- Siemens plans a focused
expansion of its industry software portfolio and intends to make a
voluntary public takeover offer to the shareholders of IBS
Aktiengesellschaft excellence, collaboration, manufacturing to acquire all shares in IBS AG. IBS shareholders are to
receive EUR 6.10 per share in cash.
This corresponds to a premium of approx. 33 percent compared to today’s closing share price for IBS AG, according to Siemens. Through the acquisition of IBS AG, a supplier of software solutions for industrial quality and production management, Siemens complements its offering of industrial automation solutions. The management board of IBS AG welcomes the offer from Siemens in principle.
Siemens has informed the management board of IBS AG of its plan to launch a voluntary public takeover offer. Today, Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Schröder, founder, Chief Executive Officer and major shareholder of IBS AG, and members of his family, who directly or indirectly hold some 51 percent of the shares in IBS AG, agreed to sell their shares to Siemens.
The completion of this agreement and the takeover offer is conditional upon certain antitrust approvals and is subject to a minimum acceptance threshold of 75 percent, among other conditions. Since 2007, Siemens holds almost eight percent of the shares in IBS AG and has secured an additional around five percent of the shares through agreements reached today with members of management at IBS AG and the company itself. These agreements will only be consummated, if the takeover offer is completed. As a result, Siemens has access to a total stake of 64 percent of the shares in IBS AG.
IBS AG was founded in 1982 and is listed in the Prime Standard of the German stock exchange. Employing around 200 personnel, IBS AG offers cross-company standard software systems for quality and production management as well as compliance management.
The Siemens Industry Sector is the world's leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products and solutions for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the Sector enhances its customers' productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Divisions Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services as well as the Business Unit Metals Technologies.
The Siemens Industry Automation Division supports the entire value chain of its industrial customers – from product design to production and services – with an unmatched combination of automation technology, industrial control technology, and industrial software. With its software solutions, the Division can shorten the time-to-market of new products by up to 50 percent. Industry Automation comprises five Business Units: Industrial Automation Systems, Control Components and Systems Engineering, Sensors and Communications, Siemens PLM Software, and Water Technologies.
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