-- Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) has today completed the acquisition of 
       Gemalto (Euronext Amsterdam and Paris: GTO), creating a global 
       leader in digital identity security. 
    -- With Gemalto, Thales will cover the entire critical decision chain 
       in a digital world, from data generation via sensors to real-time 
       decision support. 
    -- This acquisition increases Thales's revenues to 19 billion euros 
       and self-funded R&D to 1 billion euro a year, with 80,000 employees 
       in 68 countries. 


Completed in 15 months, the acquisition of Gemalto by Thales for 4.8 billion 
euros creates a Group on a new scale and a global leader in digital identity 
and security employing 80,000 people. The larger Thales will master all the 
technologies underpinning the critical decision chain for companies, 
organisations and governments. Incorporating the talent and technologies of 
Gemalto, Thales will develop secure solutions to address the major challenges 
faced by our societies, such as unmanned air traffic management, data and 
network cybersecurity, airport security or financial transaction security. 

This combination creates a world-class leader with an unrivalled portfolio of 
digital identity and security solutions based on technologies such as biometry, 
data protection, and, more broadly, cybersecurity. Thales will thus provide a 
seamless response to customers including critical infrastructure providers such 
as banks, telecom operators, government agencies, utilities and other 
industries as they step up to the challenges of identifying people and objects 
and keeping data secure.

Research and development: inventing the world of tomorrow

Thales and Gemalto share a passion for the advanced technologies that serve as 
a common foundation and focus for their 80,000 employees. Research and 
development (R&D) is at the core of the new Group, with its 3,000 researchers 
and 28,000 engineers dedicated to R&D. Thales has been developing 
state-of-the-art technologies to meet the most demanding requirements of 
customers around the world for decades. Today the Group has become a giant 
laboratory inventing the world of tomorrow, with a portfolio of 20,500 patents 
of which more than 400 new ones were registered in 2018. 

Technological synergies

The new Thales will cover the entire critical decision chain in an increasingly 
interconnected and vulnerable world, with capabilities spanning software 
development, data processing, real-time decision support, connectivity and 
end-to-end network management. 

With 1 billion euro a year devoted to self-funded R&D, the Group will continue 
to innovate in its key markets, drawing in particular on its world-class 
digital expertise in the Internet of Things, Big Data, artificial intelligence 
and cybersecurity. The first illustrations are as wide as the Group's 
portfolio: 

    -- Banking: Big Data analytics 
    -- Defence: biometrics 
    -- Aerospace: unmanned traffic management 
    -- Ground transportation: Internet of Things 
    -- Space: Internet of Things 
    -- Telecommunications: Big Data analytics

An extended global footprint

Following this acquisition, Gemalto will form one of Thales's seven global 
divisons, to be named Digital Identity and Security (DIS). Gemalto will 
interact with all of the Group's civil and defence customers and will 
significantly strengthen its industrial presence in 68 countries. Thales will 
considerably expand its operations in Latin America (2,500 employees, up from 
600), triple its presence in Northern Asia (1,980, from 700), Southeast Asia 
(2,500, from 800) and India (1,150, from 400) and North America (6,660 
employees, up from 4,600).

"With Gemalto, a global leader in digital identification and data protection, 
Thales has acquired a set of highly complementary technologies and competencies 
with applications in all of our five vertical markets, which are now redefined 
as aerospace; space; ground transportation; digital identity and security; and 
defence and security. These are the smart technologies that help people make 
the best choices at every decisive moment. The acquisition is a turning point 
for the Group's 80,000 employees. Together, we are creating a giant in digital 
identity and security with the capabilities to compete in the big leagues 
worldwide." Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO, Thales

About Thales 

The people who make the world go round -- they rely on Thales. Our customers 
come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining 
a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design 
and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions that make 
tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depths of space 
and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster -- mastering 
ever greater complexity at every decisive moment along the way.

Thales generated revenues of 19 billion euros in 2018 with 80,000 employees in 
68 countries.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190327/2415872-1

SOURCE  Thales