Permira to Aquire Genesys In $1.5 Bln Deal

Permira on Wednesday offered to buy Genesys from Alcatel-Lucent in a deal valued at $1.5 billion. Technology Crossover Ventures, and certain co-investors of the Permira funds, are also taking part in the deal. The transaction, subject to review by Committee of Foreign Investment in the U.S., is expected to close by the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012. Daly City, Calif.-based Genesys supplies enterprise software and services.

PRESS RELEASE

Permira today announced that a company owned by the Permira funds has made a binding offer to acquire Genesys, a global expert in contact center technology software, from Alcatel-Lucent (euronext paris and nyse:ALU) in a transaction valued at $1.5 billion. Technology Crossover Ventures and certain co-investors of the Permira funds will also participate in the transaction.

“Genesys is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading providers of customer service software and contact center solutions, and we are excited by the long-term growth potential of this business,” said Brian Ruder, Partner at Permira. “With an exceptional brand, differentiated technologies and a blue-chip customer base, Genesys is well-positioned to continue to take advantage of the positive trends in its expanding markets.”

“This would be an important step in the evolution of our business and a clear endorsement of Genesys, our strategy and market-leading technologies, and of the hard work and commitment of our talented employees,” commented Paul Segre, Chief Executive Officer of Genesys. “If the proposed transaction were to go through, the Permira funds would bring an impressive track record of building lasting value for their portfolio companies and we are confident that this world-class investor group has the depth and breadth of resources and experience that would enable us to accelerate our innovation and future growth trajectory.”

Working with the investor group and building on its track record of innovation, Genesys would continue to enhance its core product portfolio and strengthen its offering in the growing areas of cloud computing, analytics, workforce optimization, process workflow and social engagement. This array of capabilities and solutions enables businesses to harness the data from customer interactions to increase efficiency, improve sales efforts and continuously improve client experiences.

The transaction is subject to review by the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States and other customary regulatory approvals, and consultations in various countries. It would be expected to close by the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012.

About Genesys

Headquartered in Daly City, CA, Genesys is one of the leading suppliers of enterprise software and solutions that enable best-in-class customer service for companies and organizations. With over forty-five offices worldwide, Genesys software directs more than 100 million customer interactions every day for 4,000 companies and government agencies in 80 countries.

About Permira

Permira is a European private equity firm with global reach. The Permira funds, raised from pension funds and other institutions, make long-term investments in companies with the ambition of transforming their performance and driving sustainable growth.

Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately $30 billion. Over the past 26 years the Permira funds have made nearly 200 private equity investments. Since 1997, 32% of the Permira funds’ investments have been in the core sector of Technology, Media & Telecom.