GERMANY: Siemens announced an agreement to acquire Hannover-based planning, scheduling and information systems software provider HaCon on April 28. The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the deal, which subject to regulatory approval is expected to be completed in the first half of 2017.
HaCon is to be managed as separate legal entity which would be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens AG’s Mobility Division. Siemens said the acquisition would position it as a single-source supplier of software for train and route planning, timetable information, payments and ‘intermodal mobility platforms’, with apps for passengers' mobile devices which would enhance planning and transparency.
‘The acquisition of HaCon will enable us to enter a completely new business area that complements our current portfolio, expanding it to include timetable scheduling as well as trip planning by passengers’, said Siemens Mobility CEO Jochen Eickholt. ‘With this move, we are rigorously implementing our digitalisation strategy and opening up new growth opportunities for our company along our customers' value chain.’
HaCon’s trip planning software is used by over 100 operators from more than 25 countries. ‘Together with a strong partner like Siemens AG, we'll be even better equipped to drive the mobility software business, particularly in the global market’, said CEO Michael Frankenberg.
