Press Release
Acquisition to Drive Company’s Expansion in Fast-growing African Market
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — February 13, 2012 — Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Shoden Data Systems, a leading provider of data center technology solutions in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.
Shoden market leadership in South Africa, its strong customer base and industry expertise meet key criteria of the Hitachi Data Systems expansion strategy throughout the fast-growing African market. As part of Hitachi Data Systems, Shoden will continue to support and expand the customer relationships and partnerships that have helped it achieve success in the region.
“Following a successful eleven year partnership, we are excited to bring Shoden Data Systems formally into the Hitachi Data Systems business,” said Niels Svenningsen, senior vice president and general manager, Hitachi Data Systems EMEA. “Across the globe we are helping customers transform aging data centers into information centers that closely align business objectives with infrastructure performance to optimize return on assets. We can now bring that experience and expertise to bear in a market with huge growth potential.”
With the acquisition now complete, Hitachi Data Systems will be able to better serve its growing customer base throughout the African region by continuing to help customers reduce costs, carry out business innovation initiatives, improve service levels and deploy new applications and technologies more quickly and efficiently.
The acquisition of Shoden also plays an important role in the global expansion of the Hitachi, Ltd., Social Innovation Business, which fuses information technologies – including those from Hitachi Data Systems – with innovative solutions to improve social infrastructure. Hitachi, Ltd., has identified South Africa as one of the key focus areas for its Social Innovation Business. With established subsidiaries in a number of African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania, the acquisition of Shoden by Hitachi Data Systems bolsters the Hitachi, Ltd., capabilities across the region.
For further details on the acquisition, please reference the press release titled Hitachi Data Systems to Acquire Shoden Data Systems.
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About Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems provides best-in-class information technologies, services and solutions that deliver compelling customer ROI, unmatched return on assets (ROA) and demonstrable business impact. With a vision that IT must be virtualised, automated, cloud-ready and sustainable, Hitachi Data Systems offers solutions that improve IT costs and agility. With more than 5,400 employees worldwide, Hitachi Data Systems does business in more than 100 countries and regions. Hitachi Data Systems products, services and solutions are trusted by the world’s leading enterprises, including more than 70 percent of the Fortune 100 and more than 80 percent of the Fortune Global 100. Hitachi Data Systems believes that data drives our world – and information is the new currency. To learn more, visit: http://www.hds.com.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.
© Hitachi Data Systems Corporation 2012. All Rights Reserved. Hitachi is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Hitachi Data Systems is a registered trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd. in the United States and other countries.
Press Contacts:
Hitachi Data Systems
North America:
Ricky Gradwohl
(408) 970-7097
ricky.gradwohl@hds.com
EMEA:
Bastiaan van Amstel
+31 61 09 64 023
bastiaan.vanamstel@hds.com
Lois Paul & Partners
North America:
Don Jennings
(617) 986-5756
don_jennings@lpp.com
Hotwire PR
EMEA:
Annette Leach
+44 20 76 08 4657
annette.leach@hotwirepr.com
