Sopra Group

Founded in January 1968 by Pierre Pasquier, François Odin and Léo Gantelet,^[1][2] Sopra is one of Europe's longest established IT services companies. From the outset, Sopra positioned itself in all of the IT services sectors and soon became a key player in the French market. On March 2014, Sopra Group became Sopra. In April 2014, Sopra announced a merger with Steria in an attempt to create the European leader in computer services.^[3]

About Sopra

Sopra is a consulting, IT services and software development company. Its subsidiary Sopra Banking Software develops and distributes software for the financial services market. Sopra employs more than 16,000 people and generated a turnover of 1.349 billion euro in 2013. Sopra (SOP) is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange (Compartiment B) – ISIN Code: FR0000050809.

Sopra's businesses^[4]

Three complementary business lines :

• Consulting (Sopra Consulting) Management and Technology
• Systems and solutions integration
• Software publishing in the following field :
  • Human resources (HR Access and Pléiades offering)
  • Real estate management (Ulis, Ikos and Altaïx offerings)

Sopra is focused on the following business sectors :

• Cavisson System, Inc.
• Financial services
• Services, transportation and utilities
• Public sector
• Industry
• Telecom and media
• Retail

Key figures (not including Axway subsidiary)

• Turnover^[5]
  • 2013 : €1,349.0 m
  • 2012 : €1,216.7 m^[6]
  • 2011 : €1,050 m (€1,200 m / proforma 2011)^[7]
  • 2010 : €964 m
• Operating income
  • 2013 : €108.9 m
  • 2012 : €109.6 m
  • 2011 : €93 m
  • 2010 : €86 m
• People
  • 2013 : 16,290
  • 2012 : 14,310
  • 2011 : 12,610
  • 2010 : 11,650
• Turnover distribution by region/ 2013
  • France : 61%
  • Other countries : 39%
• Turnover distribution by sector/ 2013
  • Financial services : 33%
  • Services, transportation and utilities : 21%
  • Public sector : 17%
  • Industry : 16%
  • Telecom and media : 9%
  • Retail : 4%

Financial results

Sopra's annual revenues are :

• €1,349.0 million in 2013, (growth: +10.9%, organic growth: +4.3%).
• €1,216.7 million in 2012, (growth: +15.8%, organic growth: +2.4%).
• €1,050.3 million in 2011, (growth: +9.2%, organic growth: +8%).
• €1,170 million in 2010, (growth: +6.9%, organic growth: +6.2%).
• €1,094 million in 2009, (growth: -3.1%, organic growth: -4.5%).
• €1,129 million in 2008, (growth: +12.8%, organic growth: +10.5%).
• €1,001 million in 2007, (growth: +11.6%, organic growth: +9.4%).
• €897.7 million in 2006, (growth: +18.6%, organic growth: +8.5%).
• €757 million in 2005.

Acquisitions

Sopra's main acquisitions are :

• In 1996, acquisition of SG2 Ingénierie (650 people).
• In 2000, acquisition of Orga Consultants, Strategy and management consulting company (200 people)^[8]
• In 2001, acquisition of the Italian company ITI and British CS Rand, both acting in the system integration and consulting fields^[9]
• December 2003, Sopra acquires Inforsud Ingénierie from the Crédit Agricole Group(530 people).
• In July 2004, acquisition of Valoris, Consulting and IT Services European company(500 people)^[10]
• In July 2005, acquisition of Newell & Budge (UK) and its subsidiaries in Ireland and India, IT services (600 people)^[11]
• In November 2005, Sopra acquires 100% of the share capital of PROFit SA, system integration and consulting company based in Spain and Portugal (700 people)
• In July 2008, acquisition of CIBF, independent company specialised in portfolio and risks management software development for the banking sector, based in Nantes (60 people)^[12]
• October 2011, acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Delta Informatique, independent company offering financial software solutions^[8] · .^[13]
• In February 2012, Sopra acquires the Belgian company Callataÿ & Wouters, specialised in banking software.^[14][15]
• March 2012, acquisition of British subsidiaries of Business & Decision and Tieto^[16]
• In July 2012, Sopra creates Sopra Banking Software consequently to the acquisitions of Callataÿ & Wouters and Delta Informatique^[17]
• In April 2013, Sopra announces the acquisition of HR Access, software solutions for the human resources management industry (900 people)^[18]
• In February 2014, Sopra announces the acquisition of the German company COR&FJA Banking Solutions ^[19]
• April 2014, merger with Steria

Axway Software Subsidiary

In 2001, Sopra creates its subsidiary Axway to access the EAI market (Enterprise Application Integration) :

• In 2001, creation^[20] of Axway Software (400 people, 50 million euros revenue);
• In 2002, Axway acquires the integration business of the American company Viewlocity Inc.^[21][22] first in Europe, then in Asia and in the US;
• Early 2006, acquisition of Cyclone Commerce, Inc., an enterprise software US company;^[23][24]
• Early 2007, acquisition in Germany of the enterprise software business of Atos Origin;^[25]
• In September 2008, acquisition of Tumbleweed Communications Corp.

Axway Software splits from Sopra in June 2011 consequently to its stock market launch.^[26]

External links

• Official website of Sopra Steria
• Official website of Sopra Steria in the UK
• Official website of Sopra in India

References