Situation in the Netherlands

A collection of links to short articles and remarkable deals from different sources early this year:

The recovery of the ICT market
Results in 2009 by some leading IT service and software companies
Recent notable transactions

Together with our own experiences from the market gives the image:

Recovery of the Dutch ICT market this year, but the fragile recovery is slower than originally thought. Businesses and government are increasingly using to keep the cut. Spending levels of 2008 are far from being achieved.

This will naturally reflect in the results of the ICT companies this year. Most are happy as we know to have the same sales and results as last year in the books. Of course there are several who are still growing and the market outperforming the market also in financial results.

The merger and acquisition market is regaining momentum partly driven by the rising stock market and the slowly upward creeping valuations. There are more buyers back on the market, which still mainly to find "bargains" which restrain the strong performance companies to enter into a sales process themselves. Yet increasingly strategic buyers notify us they are acquisitive again, accustomed to pay a "fair" price for a good company, and who not want to be late before the valuations continue to rise. Many of these parties are international buyers. So there are opportunities at this time for ICT companies who believe that the time has come to sell.

Sources (in Dutch but we included a Google translation link):

http://webwereld.nl/nieuws/64257/nederlandse-ict-sector-herstelt-zich.html
- Google translate

http://webwereld.nl/nieuws/64900/-nederlandse-ict-branche-is-te-optimistisch-.html
- Google translate

http://www.ict-barometer.nl/
- Google translate

http://www.fd.nl/artikel/14452163/hp-topman-nederland-bungelt-onderaan
- Google translate

http://channelworld.nl/nieuws/23084/ict-sector-maakt-weer-winst.html
- Google translate

http://channelworld.nl/nieuws/22260/meer-winst-voor-unit4.html
- Google translate

http://channelworld.nl/nieuws/21980/tomtom-klimt-uit-dal.html
- Google translate

http://channelworld.nl/nieuws/22719/ordina-2010-wordt-uitdagend-jaar.html
- Google translate

http://channelworld.nl/nieuws/23860/rode-cijfers-voor-ict-automatisering.html
- Google translate

Remarkable transactions:

Oce definitely in hands of Canon