HCL Technologies (HCL) has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wolfsburg-based IT and engineering services provider, H&D International Group. The acquisition is part of HCL’s long-term growth plan in Germany. This landmark deal sees HCL attain significant in-country front office and delivery capabilities and will further enhance the company’s domain expertise in the global automotive sector.
The H&D International Group is one of the largest IT service providers in the German automotive industry, and operates in over 20 locations globally including; Germany, the USA, the Czech Republic and Poland. H&D specialises in IT Infrastructure, application services particularly in R&D IT, shop floor IT and Industry 4.0 solutions and has extensive expertise in SAP, computer-aided technologies (CAx), engineering services and customer-specific product development.
H&D’s existing delivery center in Gifhorn, Germany, will become part of HCL’s global delivery footprint and will focus on IT and engineering services both in Germany and globally.
“Germany is a critical market for HCL as we continue to expand our business in Europe. We feel the German market is at an inflection point and it is the right time for HCL to expand and make significant investments here. H&D has a long-standing track record of high-quality service delivery and we are confident this will play a significant role in our continued growth in Germany.” Said Ashish Gupta, Corporate Vice President at HCL Technologies.
Commenting on the investment, Bernhard Hönigsberg, CEO of the H&D International Group, said: “By combining H&D’s delivery capabilities with those of HCL, we have an unprecedented opportunity to add tremendous value to the services we provide to support our clients’ IT transformation ambitions. Furthermore, the experience and know-how of HCL and H&D complement each other perfectly and our employees are set to benefit significantly from the new opportunities that lie ahead.”
Klaus Holzhauser, Managing Director of leading independent European research and consulting firm, Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) Germany, said: “HCL already has a strong presence in Germany and the automotive sector with its purchase and integration of Volvo IT and Geometric Software. Its investment in H&D strengthens its capabilities and positioning even further in two crucial regions. H&D has established a strong footprint in the German and Central European automotive markets and is the IT services provider to one of Germany’s biggest car manufacturers, making it a great investment for HCL. The portfolios of HCL and H&D are a winning combination, comprising of infrastructure and applications services as well as connected vehicle, Industry 4.0 solutions and embedded software in both the manufacturing and automotive sectors. The ability to flexibly offer onsite as well as global delivery capabilities enables HCL to effectively respond to individual client requests in the best possible way.”
