Specialist Computer Holdings is bulking up in Spain, by acquiring the local reseller ops of GECITS for undisclosed terms. SCH will fold the business into its existing subsdiary InfoProducts Spain, and the enlarged group will trade under the new name SCC Spain from next month.

According to SCH, the combined operations rank as Spain's second biggest corporate computer dealer with annual revenues of € 120m and approx. 300 staff in ten branches.

Europe's two biggest resellers SCH and Computacenter, are British. In recent years they have built big overseas arms, an expansion policy helped enormously (in SCH's case) by the implosion of Dutch-based Info'Products, and the retired from Europe badly hurt GECITS. This has enabled both to gain big assets at almost fire sale prices. ®

bought GECITS Spain

6 February 2003

SCH acquires GE Capital IT Solutions Spain

Enhances leading European IT infrastructure services position in 7 key European markets.

SCH and GE today announced that SCH has completed the acquisition of GE Capital IT Solutions Spain (GECITS Spain)

GECITS Spain becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of SCH and will integrate with Info'Products Spain and trade as SCC Spain from March 2003. The combined Spanish operation ranks No 2 in the Corporate IT Services & Reseller Marketplace in Spain with SCH holding leading positions in 7 key European markets; UK, France, Holland, Spain, Germany, Italy and Belgium.

The combined operation will:

• Enhance the integrated solutions and services spanning the whole IT life cycle to customers across Spain.

• Accelerate Pan-European vendor engagement with all IT technology vendors to the benefit of its customers

• Allow the combined businesses to share important investments and best practices, and to develop common processes to improve the scope, quality, and cost-effectiveness of their offerings

• Result in a total revenue of more than Euro 3bn and over 5000 employees operating across a pan-European network of 60 key city locations

• Create a Pan-Spanish operation with combined revenues of Euro 120m and circa 300 staff operating from a national network of 10 key locations headquartered in Madrid

Chairman and Chief Executive of SCH, Sir Peter Rigby, sees this as another milestone in the group's European expansion. He said “GECITS Spain has both a strong services and enterprise systems bias in its portfolio and this supports our strategy of growing our services base and enterprise business and

building contracted revenue streams. This acquisition represents an important step forward in underlining SCH's position as Europe's leading infrastructure services provider with the broadest territory coverage.

Eloy Caro, CEO of SCC Spain said “This is an exciting opportunity for our customers and employees. Joining the strengths of our business as SCC positions the combined organisation to deliver seamless and integrated IT services to customers across Spain”

SCH is pursuing an aggressive acquisition policy in Europe, with the aim of being Europe's number one provider of technology services and products for business advantage.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

SCH
SCH (Specialist Computer Holdings) is Europe's largest privately owned technology group and a market leader in providing managed IT lifecycle services and solutions for business advantage.The group works with major European enterprise and government organisations to add value at every stage of IT infrastructure investment.
The group employs over 5000 skilled people who directly manage IT services, solutions and products in full ownership across a pan European network of 60 offices in seven countries and into over 60 countries worldwide through its controlled Specialist Global Services associated interests.The group trades under a number of leading brands. Service Partner/Reseller brands are SCC in the UK and Spain, Allium in France and Italy, Info'Products in Holland, Belgium and Germany. Distribution brand is ETC.
SCH is the UK's fourth largest private company.

For more information, contact Judy Groves – SCH Corporate Communications on
+44 (0)121 766 2580 or +44 (0)7850 622488

GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified technology and services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. To learn more about GE, the GE Fund and Elfun, visit www.ge.com