Press Release
September.07.2002 |
| Schneider Electric and Digital form an alliance to bring innovative and comprehensive offers to their customers. |
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Schneider Electric S.A. (Rueil Malmaison, France) and Digital Electronics Corporation (Osaka, Japan) announced today that they have agreed to a wide-range business alliance including the purchase of Digital’s shares by Schneider Electric.
Digital is worldwide leader in Graphic touch-panel operator interface with leading positions in Japan and Asia whereas Schneider Electric is worldwide leader in Industrial Automation with very strong positions in Europe, North America and some Asian countries such as China.
Digital and Schneider Electric share the same vision as to the increasing role of HMI products in automation systems with the fusion of HMI and control functions on one hand, the integration into web architecture on the other hand.
Digital already released GLC series graphic operator interface with logic control function. Both companies also started several years ago to develop and market products using web technologies to provide easy access to machines and processes through internet or intranet (Transparent Factory TM).
Schneider Electric with its leading position and strong expertise in Programmable Logic Controllers and Digital with its leading position in HMI will bring together an innovative, comprehensive and integrated offer to their customers.
This alliance will reinforce Schneider’s position in Japan where it has been present for more than 25 years and recently established 2 joint-ventures: Toshiba Schneider Electric Ltd. (design, manufacturing and sales of low voltage products) and Toshiba Schneider Inverter Ltd. (design and manufacturing of inverters).
Digital will be the unique worldwide HMI competence center for Schneider Electric and the current management team, who founded and successfully developed the company to its world leadership, are committed to stay and play a key role in achieving the new perspectives enabled by this alliance.
The transfer of ownership will be executed upon satisfactory completion of Due Diligence through a TOB. The management of Digital who holds 31.5% of shares outstanding agreed to bring their shares to the TOB.
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About Digital Electronics Corporation
World leader in the field of proprietary graphic operator interface with brand-name of Pro-face, with considerable position in the IPC with Pro-face and Xycom brand.
In 2001, Digital generated sales of 23.1 billion yens.
About Schneider Electric S.A.
Schneider Electric is the world specialist in power and control. Through its international brands : Merlin Gerin, Modicon, Square D and Telemecanique, Schneider Electric satisfies and anticipates its customers’ needs in the energy, building, industry and infrastructure markets.
In 2001, Schneider Electric generated sales of 9.7 billion euros via 9000 sales outlets in 130 countries. |
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