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Sweden’s HMS Networks is buying Belgium’s eWon for €30m

03 February, 2016

The Swedish industrial communications company, HMS Industrial Networks – a subsidiary of HMS Networks – is buying eWon, the Belgian specialist in IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and intelligent Internet-based remote access routers, for €30m. HMS says the deal will make it a market-leader in remote access and monitoring technologies for industrial communications.

It adds that the acquisition will widen its customer base and extend its footprint in the market for remote management of PLCs. The deal will also strengthen HMS’ Netbiter offering and create complementary sales channels. At the same time, HMS’ experience in manufacturing and logistics will provide opportunities for improved efficiency and sustained profitability in eWon.

The acquisition gives HMS access to a distribution network in Europe and North America and adds around 15 development engineers. The Swedish company expects the extended r&d resources to generate opportunities to develop new technologies.

eWon, founded in 2001, employs 57 people and has subsidiaries in the US and Japan. It offers communication products and services for industrial applications such as remote access to PLCs and data collection. The company’s products include the Talk2M cloud-based remote access service, and the Flexy modular machine-to-machine router and data gateway for OEMs and system integrators

Based on its preliminary accounts for 2015, eWon had net sales of about €15.3m and an EBITDA of about €3.3m last year.

“eWon’s products are great complements to HMS’s product range,” says HMS CEO, Staffan Dahlström. “Its strong position primarily in the market for remote access to PLCs providing a secure ‘data tunnel’ between a software application and a remote machine will complement and reinforce HMS’s existing remote management offering in the form of Netbiter.

“eWon is world-leading when it comes to PLC remote access,” he continues, “and joining the two teams and operations will create a strong market position and unique value proposition to our OEM partners and customers worldwide.”

eWon's Flexy is said to be is the first modular industrial M2M router and data gateway designed for OEMs and system integrators

Serge Bassem, eWon’s CEO and co-founder, sees “great opportunities to further strengthen our business and technology platform by gaining access to HMS’s well-established development organisation and sales channels.”

“We are excited to be joining HMS,” adds eWon’s CTO and co-founder, Pierre Crokaert. “Its knowledge in industrial communication will be a great asset for our on-going development projects and new technologies in future.”

Bassem and Crokaert will continue in their existing roles and will become two of HMS’ ten largest shareholders.

HMS is paying for eWon through a combination of cash and shares in HMS Networks. 




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