SunGard Data Systems will split off its Availability Services business on a tax-free basis to its existing stockholders, including its private equity owners. Once the split-off is completed, the SunGard Availability Services business will be a separate company from SunGard and have its own board of directors. SunGard’s remaining software and processing businesses will consist of Financial Systems (SunGard’s largest business), Public Sector and K-12 Education.
Both SunGard and SunGard Availability Services will continue to be owned principally by the consortium of private equity investment funds associated with Bain Capital Partners, The Blackstone Group, Goldman Sachs & Co., Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Providence Equity Partners, Silver Lake and TPG, which acquired SunGard in a leveraged buy-out in August 2005.
Russ Fradin, SunGard’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We believe a strategic separation of SunGard into two financially strong, independent companies will allow each to better focus on its distinct type of business and better pursue its own growth opportunities. While both businesses have been together as part of SunGard for a long time, they serve vastly different customer needs and have very different business profiles, with distinct capital requirements, sales forces and competitors. This separation will bring greater clarity and alignment to each company’s mission.”
The split-off company will continue to use the SunGard Availability Services name.
SunGard Availability Services provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. It operates approximately five million square feet of datacenter and operations space.
http://www.sungardas.com
