Comparex

COMPAREX AG
Company typeStock corporation
IndustryIT services
Founded1990
HeadquartersLeipzig, Germany
Key people
Revenue2.533 billion EUR (2017/2018)
Number of employees
2,450 (2017/2018)
ParentSoftwareONE
Websitesoftwareone.com

History

In the wake of BASF selling Hitachi mainfarmes under their own name since 1980, Comparex was founded in 1986 as a joint venture between Siemens and BASF to also market Fujitsu mainframe computers. At the end of 1988, Siemens withdrew from the company.[1] After that, only Hitachi systems were marketed. BASF only took over 100% of the shares in 1991.

After a drop in sales in 1995, BASF sold 40% of Comparex shares to the service provider Persetel from South Africa[2] and finally withdrew completely in 1999 after handing over 75% of the shares in 1998.[3][4]

Until 2000, COMPAREX Informationssysteme GmbH was the leading European Plug Compatible Manufacturer (PCM) of IBM architecture compatible mainframe computers (IBM System/370). These systems were by and large badge engineered versions of the Hitachi PCM range, which were also distributed in Europe through Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).[5]

Comparex withdrew from the mainframe PCM marked in March 2000.[6]

Today

COMPAREX AG is an international company for IT services with headquarters in Leipzig, Germany. Following a takeover by SoftwareOne COMPAREX AG announced on April 1, 2019 that all its subsidiaries will undergo a rebranding process and fully integrate into the SoftwareOne Group.[7]

Business field

COMPAREX AG is mainly involved in the management of software licenses and usage rights as well as in IT consulting and the development of Managed Services and cloud-based solutions.

Corporate structure

The Executive Group at COMPAREX AG consisted of the Board of Directors and the Vice Presidents. Since being acquired by SoftwareONE in February 2019, COMPAREX AG's corporate structure is undergoing restructuring with Marc Betgem (CSO) to serve on SoftwareONE's Executive Leadership Team and Thomas Reich, the former CEO of COMPAREX, supporting the integration process before leaving the company.

Board of directors

The Board of Directors at COMPAREX AG currently consists of two people:

  • Thomas Reich (CEO/Chairman, since December 2017 and CFO since 2009)
  • Marc Betgem (CSO/Director, since July 2016)

Supervisory Board

The supervisory board at COMPAREX AG has five members:

  • Michael Kafesie (chairman of the supervisory board at COMPAREX AG)
  • Nikolaus Brajkovic (Member of the supervisory board at COMPAREX AG)
  • Andreas Fleischmann (Member of the supervisory board at COMPAREX AG)
  • Thomas Muchar (Member of the supervisory board at COMPAREX AG)
  • Oliver van Haentjens (Member of the supervisory board at der COMPAREX AG)

Shareholders

Raiffeisen Informatik GmbH has owned 100 percent of COMPAREX AG since 2011; it holds these shares indirectly via “PERUNI” Holding GmbH. Raiffeisen Informatik GmbH belongs to the Raiffeisen Banking Group Austria (RBG).

Shareholdings

COMPAREX AG holds shares in companies around the world due to its strategy of acquisitions and start-ups.

2015

Start-up: Canada
Start-up: Singapore
Acquisition: Dataserv Information Technologies Inc. (Turkey)
Acquisition: amando software GmbH (Germany)

2014 Acquisition: Cloudbearing Inc. (USA)
Acquisition: PERIFEL (Periféricos Electrónicos, S.A. de C.V.) (Mexico)
Acquisition: 2S Gestao de Ativos de Software Ltda. business unit (Brasil)[8]
2013 Acquisition: Agile Software B.V: & InfraControl B.V. (Netherlands)

Start-up: USA [9]

2012 Acquisition: DATALOG Software AG (Germany)

Start-up: Bulgaria, Indonesia

2011 Acquisition: IRIS Unified Technology Pvt. Ltd. (India)

Locations

A number of acquisitions in recent years mean that COMPAREX AG is now present in 35 countries worldwide.

Europe
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania
Asia
India, Kazakhstan, China, Singapore, Indonesia
South America
Brasil
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA

Origins

The company has operated under the name COMPAREX AG since 2011.[10] Originally the company was named "PC-Ware Gesellschaft für Industrieinformatik Leipzig mbH".

Further information: [[:PC-Ware]]

References

  1. ^ Computerwoche from March 25, 1988
  2. ^ Computerwoche from April 26, 1996
  3. ^ Presentation Comparex at IBM
  4. ^ corporate finance specialist portal
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ Computer Weekly
  7. ^ Team, C. R. N. (2019-04-01). "COMPAREX announces brand change to SoftwareONE". CRN - India. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  8. ^ [2] Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, COMPAREX erschließt südamerikanischen Markt und übernimmt Microsoft-Lizenzgeschäft des brasilianischen Systemintegrators 2S, 6 May 2014, retrieved on 13 April 2015
  9. ^ [3] Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, Comparex gründet Tochtergesellschaft in den USA, Computerwelt.at 14 May 2013, retrieved on 21 April 2015
  10. ^ [4], PC-Ware heißt jetzt COMPAREX, Heise online 5 May 2011, retrieved on 10 April 2015