OPEN ACQUIRES LA NETSCOUADE DIGITAL COMMUNICATION AGENCY AND APPOINTS ITS FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR BENOIT THIEULIN AS THE COMPANY'S DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Paris, 31 August 2016 - Open, a key player in Industrial and Digital Transformation, announces its acquisition of 100% of digital communication and transformation agency La Netscouade. The Open Executive Committee is joined by La Netscouade founder Benoit Thieulin, who is appointed Director of Innovation. With this new step, Open makes its entrance into the digital communication market, as announced last November in its Strategic Plan 2020.

Just a few months ago, Open presented its strategy through to 2020, consisting in modifying its DNA by reconciling IT and digital uses to address the essential metamorphosis of its customers' business models. The objective was to become one of the leaders in digital services by proposing a comprehensive IT and digital offering.

To complete its industrial transformation range, Open has rolled out a dedicated organisation for the digital market, structured around a number of agencies (Internet of Things, Mobility&Geo, Big Data, E- Commerce) and has announced its ambition of reaching €500 million in turnover through an acquisitions programme commencing in 2016.

After the takeovers of Lateos/Kynapse (e-Commerce/Big Data) and MCO Finance (credit and crowdfunding software package publisher), Open is taking a further step forward with the integration of the La Netscouade digital communication agency with its 500 creative staff, engineers and consultants.

For Guy Mamou-Mani and Frédéric Sebag, Co-Presidents of Open: "The acquisition of La Netscouade brings a great asset that is perfectly in line with our strategy and our determination to become a leader in digital services. Thanks to the cutting-edge, ground-breaking expertise of La Netscouade and its technological dimension, we now provide our customers with a comprehensive digital offering with high value added in terms of content and social media strategy."

La Netscouade, Open's Digital Communication Agency The remit of La Netscouade will be to develop all the aspects of the company's digital expertise, yet while keeping its identity and making full use of its know-how in brand experience (sites and apps, brand media and communication of influence), customer intelligence (studies, reputation intelligence and customer relationships), digital culture (accompanying digital transformation and training) and open innovation (ecosystem management and digital service design).

As part of Open, La Netscouade will enjoy access to new resources to develop its growth projects and boost its customer offering.

Benoit Thieulin, President of the French National Digital Council from January 2013 to January 2016, is a widely-recognised player in the digital ecosystem and will now be driving innovation at Open, thanks to his expertise and ground-breaking vision of the digital transition.

He is convinced that internet is driving a profound change in "civilisation" and has a particular interest in the empowerment phenomena brought by the digital revolution, and the innovative devices they are creating, whether for businesses, brands, institutions, NGOs or media, etc.

"We are proud to have this opportunity, while keeping our brand name, to develop Open's digital business and play our part in the adventure of this great company. Open will enable us to roll-out an end-to-end digital strategy combining all the digital professions, and to create prototypes of avant-garde solutions," said Benoit Thieulin.

  • open.lanetscouade.com

  • Entretien croisé entre Guy Mamou-Mani, Frédéric Sebag et Benoit Thieulin

For interviews with Frédéric Sebag, Guy Mamou-Mani and/or Benoit Thieulin, please contact Wellcom: Elise Plat - 01 46 34 60 60 / elise.plat@wellcom.fr *** About Open:

With 3,500 employees and turnover of €282 million in 2015, Open is a leading specialist in digital services. Working to deliver Industrial and Digital Transformation for businesses, Open is among France's largest digital services firms (ESN), and boasts a digital offering on three levels: extending the scope of our activities to combine IT services and digital innovation in a comprehensive, end-to-end service; providing an online sales platform which offers direct access to Groupe Open's services; running a technological innovation platform for use by both clients and staff. The Groupe Open approach is resolutely forward-looking and built around its corporate values: Pertinence, Audacity, Ethics & Responsibility, Passion and Commitment. For further information about Groupe Open: www.open-groupe.com

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About La Netscouade :

La Netscouade is a digital communication and transformation agency founded in 2007. It is a leader in communication of influence and rich media, and in web and mobile production. Our creative staff, engineers and consultants design and implement the communication strategies of brands and institutions on social media, and provide support in digital innovation processes (Workforce: 45 people, turnover: €4.2 million in 2015). For further information about La Netscouade: http://www.lanetscouade.com/

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Groupe Open SA published this content on 01 September 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 01 September 2016 12:13:04 UTC.

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