Acquisition of dicom:
ALSO Strengthens Solutions and Service Business

ALSO takes over dicom Computer-Vertriebsges.m.b.H., an Austrian Value Add Distributor. The acquisition is part of the systematic expansion of ALSO's Solutions and Services business and at the same time complements the company's portfolio of product categories and vendors.

For ALSO, the acquisition will give access to new interesting customer groups, mainly in the B2B and public sector. Dicom's expertise will also be an important part of ALSO's Solutions portfolio for its resellers. The company sees an increasing trend towards cloud-based or hybrid solutions in the data center sector. The knowledge of the dicom team in the design and installation of IT infrastructures will therefore be used to quickly expand the offering in this area.

At the same time, the acquisition means an expansion of the ALSO ecosystem on the vendor side, because not all of the vendors dicom works with - Citrix, Sophos, and Fujitsu with the full range of services - were previously part of the ALSO portfolio.

"The company's profile fits perfectly into our Solutions business model and will continue to drive ALSO forward in this area. We have the same mindset and are therefore convinced that the integration will proceed very fast and successful," said Gustavo Möller-Hergt, CEO of ALSO Holding AG (SIX: ALSN).

Dicom's customers, with whom the company generated revenues of approximately 30 million euros in financial year 2018/2019, will also benefit from the acquisition, which is still subject to the standard regulatory approvals. ALSO not only gives them access to new vendors and product categories. With ALSO's Service business model they can expand their offerings via the ALSO Cloud Marketplace towards cloud-based Workplace- or Device-as-a-Service solutions and thus enter the lucrative, usage-based as-a-Service business.

Direct link to media release: https://www2.also.com/press/20200819en.pdf

Contact person ALSO Holding AG:
Beate Flamm
Senior Vice President Communication
Telefon: +49 151 61266047
E-Mail: beate.flamm@also.com

ALSO Holding AG (ALSN.SW) (Emmen/Switzerland) brings together providers and buyers of the ICT industry. ALSO offers more than 660 vendors of hardware, software, and IT services access to over 110 000 potential buyers, who can call a broad spectrum of other customized services in the logistics, finance, and IT services sectors, as well as traditional distribution services. From the development of complex IT landscapes, the provision and maintenance of hardware and software, right through to the return, reconditioning, and remarketing of IT hardware, ALSO offers all services as a one-stop shop. ALSO is represented in 23 European countries and generates total net sales of approximately 10.7 billion euros with around 4 000 employees in the fiscal year 2019. The principal shareholder of ALSO Holding AG is the Droege Group, Düsseldorf, Germany. Further information is available at https://also.com.

Droege Group
Droege Group (founded in 1988) is an independent advisory and investment company under full family ownership. The company acts as a specialist for tailor-made transformation programs aiming to enhance corporate value. Droege Group combines its corporate family-run structure and capital strength into a family-equity business model. The group carries out direct investments with its own equity in corporate spin-offs and medium-sized companies in "special situations". With the guiding principle "execution - following the rules of art", the group is a pioneer in execution-oriented corporate development. Droege Group follows a focused investment strategy based on current megatrends (knowledge, connectivity, prevention, demography, specialization, future work, shopping 4.0). Enthusiasm for quality, innovation, and speed determines the company's actions. In recent years Droege Group has successfully positioned itself in domestic and international markets and operates in 30 countries. More information: https://droege-group.com.

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the ALSO management. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements made here and the actual development, in particular the results, financial situation, and performance of our Group. The Group accepts no responsibility for updating these forward-looking statements or adapting them to future events or developments.