One of Slovakia’s largest IT solutions integrators has strengthened its market position and is confirming its growth strategy. The Czech company ClarioNet, a firm focusing on complex IT infrastructure management solutions, security and identity management has become a new Soitron acquisition.

BRATISLAVA, 21 April 2009 – Representatives of the companies SOITRON and ClarioNet started the acquisition process of ClarioNet, a company active on the Czech and Slovak markets in IT infrastructure administration, network security and identity management. By this buyout of the ownership shares Soitron supplements and enlarges its product and service portfolio and confirms its announced technological and business expansion.

“Our aim is to offer comprehensive solutions with high added value. By incorporating ClarioNet into the SOITRON group we have enriched our product portfolio and extended the ranks of our professionals with extensive know-how and experience following from projects carried out on the Czech and Slovak markets. In this way we have the opportunity to satisfy client needs even better, in many areas,” says Marián Skákala, Vice-chairman of the SOITRON, a.s. Board of Directors.

The Managing Director of Soitron, Ondrej Smolár adds: “From the long-term point of view our goal is to strengthen our position in the Czech Republic, so that we would become a strong company belonging to leading system integrators in the Central European area. The presently realized acquisition is a further step that should help us to achieve this goal.”

“For ClarioNet, it’s an ideal and inevitable step. This high-quality business and technical team now enjoys the background of a large, strong company. The team can focus on deepening its own expertise and on improving the quality of services in which it dominates. This means greater certainty for our clients and partners and greater uncertainty for our competitors. I have always strongly believed in ClarioNet quality, however now I strongly believe in quality and in the strengths of Soitron,” commented Štěpán Benyovszky, the ClarioNet Managing Director, on the acquisition of the company.

Throughout the whole transaction ClarioNet was accompanied by Milan Hužvár of the counselling company VICF, specializing in mergers and acquisitions of firms in Central Europe. “I believe the merger of ClarioNet and Soitron is a ‘match made in heaven,’” says Michael Rostock, a VICF partner. “By merging Soitron’s activities and knowledge base and the references of ClarioNet, a really strong IT integrator, if not the strongest one, emerges, with a federal background,” assesses Rostock, adding: “At the same time the successful sale of ClarioNet shows that the mergers and acquisitions market is alive and discussions concerning the decrease of interest are groundless.”