BMW Group: NTT Data takes over majority of Cirquent

Sale of nearly 73% of Cirquent shares to NTT Data Munich. The BMW Group
has sold 72.9 percent of its shares in the IT consultancy company
Cirquent GmbH to the Japanese company NTT Data. A purchase agreement to
this effect was signed in Munich on 1 August. The BMW Group will thus
still own 25.1percent of the IT consultancy company in the future. The
outstanding 2 percent of the shares will continue to remain within
Cirquent GmbH. Both partners have agreed not to disclose the purchase
price. The closing of the transaction is subject to approval by the
competition authorities. "Within the scope of its Number ONE
strategy, the BMW Group is concentrating on its core business. In NTT
Data, we have found the ideal partner to ensure that Cirquent will
continue to develop further in the future", said Friedrich
Eichiner, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for
Group and Brand Development. Cirquent was founded in 1971 as Softlab
GmbH. In 1992, the Munich-based company was taken over by the BMW
Group. Last year, Cirquent posted sales worth € 286 million, with
a workforce of 1,747. The range of services offered by the company
covers the full spectrum, from business process consulting, through
design, integration and implementation to the operation of IT systems.
Photos will be available later today on www.press.bmwgroup.com If you
have any queries, please contact: Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Marc Hassinger, Business and Finance Communications phone: +49 89
382-23362, fax: +49 89 382-24418 Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com
e-mail: presse@bmw.de