Kelly Schwager, USWeb/CKS, 408-987-3287 or
[email protected]
Investor Relations Contact: Kate Wagner, USWeb/CKS, 408-987-3268 or
[email protected]
USWeb/CKS Continues to Expand International Presence
Company acquires leading French and Canadian system/network integration, network management and security systems companies
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - January 20, 1999 - USWeb/CKS Corporation (Nasdaq: USWB) announced today it has acquired two companies outside the U.S. that are leaders in the areas of system/network integration, network management and security systems -Sysicom of France and Internetworking Systems Group (ISG) of Canada.
USWeb/CKS is a leading professional services firm that blends strategy, marketing, Internet technology and industry-specific expertise to help clients differentiate their products and services, strengthen customer relationships, leverage human capital, and improve business efficiency. With the acquisition of Sysicom and ISG, USWeb/CKS now has international offices in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
"International expansion combined with strong organic growth is a key component of our strategy in 1999. The addition of Sysicom and Internetworking Systems Group will dramatically strengthen our international expertise and presence," said Toby Corey, president and chief operating officer for USWeb/CKS. "With expertise in communication and distributed information systems emphasizing wide area networks, network management, network security, remote access, system/network optimization and workgroup automation, the skill-sets of Sysicom and ISG further round out the capabilities of our Network Solutions practice-providing us with a local presence to serve the French and Canadian markets."
About Sysicom
For over ten years, Sysicom has delivered world-class expertise in systems management, integration of networking and security products, network supervision, IT audit and consultancy. Sysicom's focus is moving toward data center reengineering, systems and networks architectures, facility management, intranet, extranet and internet security, and IT security. Currently, Sysicom serves customers in the financial, telecommunications, support services, energy, pharmaceutical, automotive and technology industries, among others. Some clients include Renault, EDF, Thomson, Alcatel, Total, Vivendi (Cegetel- SFR), Societe Generale, CA Indosuez and Paribas.
"After listening to our clients' technology requirements, we knew Sysicom had to become a part of a larger, more Internet-focused global firm to meet the explosive demand for Internet solutions. We are eager to expand the breadth of our services and offer our clients the Internet and marketing expertise USWeb/CKS provides," says Charles Berdugo, founder and managing director of Sysicom.
About Internetworking Systems Group
Founded in 1994, ISG provides clients with management and operational level strategy consulting and system/network integration services such as the management of voice, data and image transmission technologies. ISG's core market focus is with service provider, financial, and large enterprise clients. Key clients include companies such as Applied Technology Solutions, AT&T Canada Long Distance Services, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Imperial Bank Commerce, Canadian Tire Acceptance Limited, Cisco Systems, ClearNet, Sprint Canada, Rogers Cable and Royal Bank of Canada and various provincial government bodies.
"Internetworking Systems Group is pleased to become part of the Network Solutions Practice of USWeb/CKS," said Imran Bashir, president of ISG. "We are looking forward to extending ISG's global reach and to being able to provide customers with a broad range of Internet consulting services. We have built a strong foundation of skills and industry experience in technologies such as ATM, Frame Relay, and TCP/IP. Our leadership in these areas has generated great success for our customers. We have a proven track record for building secure turn-key projects with high availability and high performance network and systems infrastructure for mission critical business applications. The combined organization will leverage our broad experience in voice, data and image technologies to help clients communicate with customers, partners and employees more efficiently and effectively."
About USWeb/CKS
USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq: USWB) is a professional services firm that works with companies to define strategies and implement innovative ways to build their businesses by combining the expertise of strategy, Internet technology and marketing communications. USWeb/CKS helps clients differentiate their products and services, strengthen customer relationships, leverage human capital, and improve business efficiency in the new electronic economy. With more than 1,900 professionals, USWeb/CKS has helped hundreds of businesses advance their marketing communications programs as well as traditional IT and Internet systems-everything from brand development and advertising to business process automation and e-commerce solutions. The Company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Additional information about USWeb/CKS is available by calling 408-987-3200.