Paris (Business Emerge), October 7: Atos, a major IT firm currently undergoing restructuring, remains committed to securing a deal with the French government for the sale of its most critical activities, including cybersecurity and supercomputing. Despite the expiration of an initial government offer, Atos continues negotiations with a renewed proposal that aligns with its financial restructuring plan.
The restructuring company, which earlier reached an agreement with key creditors, plays a crucial role in securing communications for the French military and secret services, while also producing servers for supercomputers. On Monday, Atos stated, “Atos has offered to continue discussions and has indicated that it has submitted a new proposal to the French State that is compatible with the financial restructuring plan.” The company also confirmed that the offer’s expiry does not affect the ongoing financial restructuring.
The French Ministry of Finance expressed its intention to continue discussions with Atos and announced plans to submit a new acquisition proposal soon. This collaboration reflects the government’s efforts to retain strategic technological assets within the country, particularly in sensitive fields like cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, Atos’ shares declined by 0.6% in early trading on the Paris stock market. This marks a significant year-to-date decline of about 90%, reflecting broader challenges faced by the company and uncertainty about its future. While the French government had initially indicated support for retaining control over these strategic assets, the urgency to tackle a budget deficit—from 6.1% of GDP to 5% by 2025—raises questions about its ability to allocate considerable funding for this initiative.
The assets in question include Advanced Computing, Critical Systems, and Cyber Products—part of Atos’ cybersecurity unit known as BDS. These operations employ approximately 4,000 individuals and generate around €900 million ($987.30 million) annually. Any agreement between Atos and the state must receive approval from the Nanterre Commercial Court, where Atos’ accelerated safeguard plan is set to be submitted on October 15.