Jessica McNulty, USWeb/CKS, 408-987-3296 or
[email protected]
USWeb/CKS Strengthens International Presence
Company acquires leading Internet application design and development
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - April 29, 1999 - USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq: USWB), a leader in strategic Internet and marketing communications services, announced today the acquisition of Case Consult. Case Consult is a professional services firm specializing in Internet application design and development, helping clients improve their business through the use of advanced information technology. The acquisition of Case Consult, with offices in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, marks USWeb/CKS's first steps into the Benelux region and builds the company's presence in Europe to over 550 employees in eight countries.
"International expansion continues to be part of our strategic business focus in 1999," said Robert Shaw, CEO of USWeb/CKS. "Acquiring a company like Case Consult, with a strong reputation and presence in the Benelux region, allows us to reach a new set of customers and round out our capabilities in the greater European market."
"We share the goal of helping clients transform their businesses to compete in the digital economy," said Gerald Goetgeluck, Chairman of Case Consult. "We are pleased with the opportunity to join USWeb/CKS's worldwide pool of talent and expertise in Internet and marketing communications services and believe we can help the company become a leader in the Benelux region and the world."
Jan Picavet, CEO of Case Consult, will become the USWeb/CKS Executive Partner in Europe, responsible for the company's entire European operations. "Jan brings strong leadership skills and proven experience in managing and growing a European organization in the professional services arena," continued Shaw. "We are delighted to add an executive of his caliber to our worldwide management team. His presence will help us to accelerate the expansion of our complete service offering throughout Europe."
Picavet joins USWeb/CKS with an impressive track record. Before he became the CEO of Case Consult, he was President of the Benelux Division of Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) for more than 5 years, developing it into one of the most important IT service players in the region. Prior to joining CSC, Picavet held General Management and European Executive positions with Cullinet, Legent and a subsidiary of Coopers & Lybrand.
As with all of the company's regions, the European region will offer the full set of strategy, marketing communications and Internet technology services and expertise of USWeb/CKS. As the USWeb/CKS Executive Partner in Europe, Picavet will be responsible for the European region's financial performance, client satisfaction, business development, recruiting and employee professional growth. He will also be responsible for executing on the Company's acquisition strategy to fill gaps in service offerings and practices in key locations throughout Europe.
Koen Anseeuw, the current COO of Case Consult, will become the managing partner of USWeb/CKS in the Benelux region, responsible for the business development, financial performance, client satisfaction, recruiting, professional development and delivery of USWeb/CKS's full line of services in the region.
About Case Consult
Case Consult is a professional services firm specializing in application design and development, with a focus on new technologies. Leveraging over 140 IT professionals in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands, Case Consult offers leading training and consulting services in professional Internet and client/server application development. The firm groups its expertise into the following categories: Internet technology, client/server services, training, professional testing and data warehousing.
Case Consult currently has formal partnerships with many technology leaders including IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun and Sybase. Its clients are in a variety of industries including finance, manufacturing, systems integration and government. Case Consult works with Arjo Wiggins, Cr�dit Lyonnais Luxembourg, Electrabel, European Fund Administration (EFA), European Commission, Flemings, Group S, Eurobench, Industrial Bank of Japan, NATO, Robeco, Sodexho and Tiense Suikerraffinaderij, to name a few.
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 digital economy. With more than 2,500 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.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (as defined under securities law) about USWeb/CKS' plans and expectations regarding its business in the Benelux region. Prior to this announcement, USWeb/CKS has had no presence or expertise managing an operation in this region. International operations entails inherent risks and unless the Company overcomes the challenges of initiating operations in a new region, its success will fall short of its plans and expectations and its business will suffer. For additional information about factors that could affect the businesses of USWeb/CKS, see the documents filed by the companies with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.