Tech Bytes: European Outsourcer Eyes U.S. Expansion

Sema Group, a prominent European technology services company, said it plans a major expansion in the U.S. outsourcing and telecommunications markets.

The consulting, outsourcing, and systems integration company, which has headquarters in London and Montrouge, France, said it will build on its existing outpost in Atlanta, initially targeting the mobile communications and billing software market. Only 3% of its $1.5 billion of revenue last year came from the Western Hemisphere.

Acquisitions are part of the growth plan, as has been the case in Europe. Sema counts Digital Equipment Corp., Tandem Computers Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Northern Telecom among its technology partners.

"By expanding our presence in the U.S. market, we are fulfilling our strategy of becoming a single global provider of information technology services to multinational corporations," said Sema Group chief executive officer Pierre Bonelli.

Telecommunications and finance are among Sema's leading sources of revenue. It supports operations of such U.S. companies as AT&T Wireless, BellSouth, and Lucent Technologies, as well as European organizations such as Standard Chartered Bank, Britannia Building Society, Electricite de France, and Adidas.