Proposed Acquisition of Time Care AB and Propos...

27 November 2009 ALLOCATE SOFTWARE PLC ("Allocate" or "the Company") Proposed acquisition of Time Care AB and Proposed placing to raise £8.3 million The Board of Allocate (the "Board") announces that it has agreed the terms of a proposed acquisition (the "Acquisition") by the Company of Time Care AB ("Time Care"), a Swedish-based provider of workforce management software, with a strong focus on the healthcare market. The Acquisition of Time Care will provide Allocate with a strong geographic footprint in the Nordic region, particularly in Sweden, where Time Care has customer relationships with some 57 hospitals and 110 of Sweden's 290 municipalities. The Acquisition of Time Care is currently expected by the Directors to be significantly earnings enhancing in the first full financial year of ownership by Allocate. Allocate also today announces a placing of 15,100,000 new ordinary shares ("New Shares") at 55.0 pence per New Share (the "Placing Price") to raise approximately £8.3 million (approximately £8.0 million net of expenses) to help fund the Acquisition (the "Placing"). The Placing has been fully underwritten by Numis Securities Limited ("Numis"), subject to certain conditions set out in the placing agreement. The acquisition agreement provides for the purchase of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Time Care from the vendors for a gross consideration of SEK 142.3 million (approximately £12.4 million)1. As at the date of this announcement, vendors representing approximately 86.4 per cent. of the issued and to be issued share capital of Time Care had signed the acquisition agreement. It is anticipated that the remaining vendors will sign up to the acquisition agreement prior to the completion of the Acquisition. Time Care had net cash balances of approximately SEK 48.4 million as at 31 October 2009, of which the Board has estimated that approximately SEK 42.3 million represents profits generated from financial periods prior to 31 October 2009 ("Excess Cash") and approximately SEK 6.1 million is required for working capital purposes or represents deferred income of Time Care as at that date. Accordingly, the net consideration ("Net Consideration") for the Acquisition is SEK 100 million (approximately £8.7 million1), which is being funded predominantly by the Placing, with the balance being satisfied from the Company's existing cash resources. The Placing and consequently the Acquisition are conditional upon, inter alia, the resolutions to be proposed at a general meeting of the Company to be held at 9.30 a.m. on 14 December 2009 (the "General Meeting") being passed by the requisite majority. A circular containing a letter from the Chairman explaining the background to and reasons for the Acquisition and the Placing, and containing the notice of General Meeting is being sent to shareholders today. A copy of the circular and the notice of General Meeting will shortly be available from the Company's website at www.allocatesoftware.com. Subject to, inter alia, the resolutions being passed by the requisite majority at the General Meeting, it is expected that dealings of the New Shares will commence on AIM at 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2009 and that the Acquisition will complete shortly after Admission. Transaction Rationale The Board believes that an acquisition-led strategy to enter certain new geographic markets is beneficial for the Company, particularly where there are already established local providers which the company can look to acquire with significant customer bases, as is the case in the Nordic region. Accordingly, the Board concluded that the acquisition of a local provider of workforce management software in the Nordic region would be an appropriate entry strategy. Allocate, upon completion of the acquisition of Time Care, will be a leading workforce management provider in the Swedish healthcare market. Over time the Directors would expect that the Acquisition of Time Care will generate some cost savings for the enlarged Allocate group, particularly with regard to ongoing product development and support. In addition, there are expected to be opportunities to generate incremental revenues from cross-selling products and services. The Acquisition is currently expected by the Directors to be significantly earnings enhancing in the first full financial year of ownership by Allocate. Information on Time Care Time Care was founded in 1993 and is a leading provider of workforce management and optimation software for the healthcare market in Sweden. Time Care has developed workforce management software for self-rostering, giving employees the ability to select their own work rosters subject to management-defined parameters. It is also the leading external provider of workforce management software to the police force in Sweden. In total, Time Care has over 200 clients. Time Care is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and operates principally in Sweden. Time Care has 41 employees, of which eight are involved in product development, and in the year ended 31 December 2008 (based on Time Care's audited consolidated financial accounts for that period), generated revenues of approximately SEK 56.1 million (approximately £4.6 million2), and achieved earnings before interest and tax ("EBIT") of approximately SEK 12.6 million (approximately £1.0 million2), representing an EBIT margin of some 23 per cent. Key products and services Time Care has the following principal software products: Time Care Planning - a modular suite of workforce management products covering rostering, resource planning, reporting and costing. Time Care Pool - a module for managing temporary staffing needs. Time Care Scheduler - an optimisation suite for roster optimisation. Time Care Doctor - a modular suite for the scheduling of doctors. All software is written in .NET. Time Care also provides the following services: PLT Services - staff logistics consultancy services to aid companies in maximising resource management. Training & Consultancy - relating to the implementation of Time Care's applications Customer base According to unaudited monthly management accounts, in the six months ended 30 June 2009, some 83 per cent. of Time Care's revenues were generated from healthcare customers, up from 76 per cent. in the year ended 31 December 2008. Of the balance of Time Care's revenues in the year ended 31 December 2008, 21 per cent. were generated from private sector (non-healthcare) customers and 3 per cent. from other public sector customers. In Sweden, healthcare is controlled through local authorities. Time Care has 12 out of 21 of the country's county councils, with some 25 per cent. of council customers using more than one Time Care product, and 110 out of 290 of the country's municipalities as customers, with some 47 per cent. of municipality customers using more than one Time Care product. In addition, Time Care's management estimates that Time Care's workforce management software supports some 57 hospitals in Sweden. Time Care's workforce management software is also used to manage the scheduling of the police force. According to Time Care's management, 15 of the 21 police districts in Sweden are customers of Time Care. In the financial year ended 31 December 2008, approximately 97 per cent. of Time Care's total revenues were derived from customers based in Sweden, with the balance being derived from a small international customer base across Denmark, Netherlands, Iceland and Belgium. Business model Time Care generates revenues from perpetual software licences, subscription fees, annual support and maintenance, hosting, implementation services and human logistics services. Time Care's revenues are typically generated from one-off licence fees followed by an annual maintenance support fee, which usually amount to 20 to 25 per cent. of the licence fee per annum. In addition, since 2008, Time Care has begun selling licences through a licence rental model over a period of 18 to 36 months. In the financial year ended 31 December 2008, software licences and subscription fees accounted for approximately 31 per cent. of total revenues, support and maintenance (contracted revenues which are recurring in nature) were approximately 35 per cent. of total revenues and implementation services and human logistics services were approximately 32 per cent. of total revenues. Financial overview The following summarised financial information on Time Care has been extracted from its audited consolidated accounts for the years ended 31 December 2007 and 2008 and the unaudited management accounts for the 10 months ended 31 October 2009: Year ended 31 December Year ended 31 10 months ended 31 2007 December 2008 October 2009 (SEKm) (SEKm) (SEKm) Net Sales 46.7 56.1 49.9 EBIT 12.1 12.6 9.0 as % of Net Sales 25.9% 22.6% 18.0% Net Assets 24.8 40.0 49.8 In the financial year ended 31 December 2008, total product development costs, which are all written off as incurred, were SEK 10.0 million, representing some 18 per cent. of the revenues in that financial period. Management and employees of Time Care The Company does not expect a complex integration of Time Care into the Allocate group and key members of Time Care's management team are expected to remain in place after the Acquisition, thereby mitigating the risks arising from a change of ownership. Consideration and Placing The acquisition agreement provides for the purchase of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Time Care from the vendors for a Net Consideration of SEK 100 million (approximately £8.7 million). As at the date of this announcement, vendors representing approximately 86.4 per cent. of the issued and to be issued share capital of Time Care had signed the acquisition agreement. It is anticipated that the remaining vendors will sign up to the acquisition agreement prior to the completion of the Acquisition. A squeeze out procedure will be used, if necessary, to compulsorily acquire any remaining shares in Time Care in the event that Allocate has acquired 90 per cent. or more of the issued and to be issued share capital of Time Care at completion. The Net Consideration payable is based on Time Care's balance sheet as at 31 October 2009 and there will be no completion accounts. The Net Consideration for the Acquisition is being funded predominantly by the Placing with the balance being satisfied in cash from the Company's existing cash resources. Excess Cash of SEK 42.3 million beyond a normalised level of working capital will be acquired SEK for SEK through the use of a short term bridge financing facility. The estimated total costs of the Acquisition and the Placing are expected to be approximately £0.9 million (exclusive of VAT). The Company is proposing to raise £8.3 million (approximately £8.0 million net of expenses) by way of a placing of 15,100,000 New Shares to help fund the Acquisition. The Placing Price of 55.0 pence per New Share represents a discount of approximately 5.2 per cent. to the closing price of 58.0 pence per ordinary share on 26 November 2009 (being the last business day prior to this announcement). Under the terms of the placing agreement, Numis, as agent for the Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure placees for the New Shares at the Placing Price or, failing which, itself to subscribe for the New Shares at the Placing Price. The New Shares represent approximately 25.2 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company as enlarged by the New Shares (the "Enlarged Share Capital"). The Placing is conditional, inter alia, upon: (i) the resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting being passed without amendment; (ii) the placing agreement becoming unconditional in all respects (save for admission) and it not having been terminated; and (iii) admission of the New Shares to trading on AIM ("Admission") becoming effective by not later than 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2009 (or such later time and date as the Company and Numis may agree, not being later than 8.00 a.m. on 29 December 2009). The placing agreement also contains certain warranties (subject to limitations which are normal for an agreement of this type) given by the Company in favour of Numis as to certain matters relating to the Company and its business. In addition, the Company has given certain undertakings to Numis and has agreed to indemnify Numis in relation to certain liabilities it may incur in respect of the Placing. Numis has the right to terminate the placing agreement in certain circumstances prior to Admission including inter alia, (i) for certain force majeure events or other events involving certain material adverse changes or prospective material adverse changes relating to the Allocate group or (ii) in the event of a breach of the warranties or other obligations of the Company set out in the placing agreement. The Company has agreed to pay to Numis a placing and underwriting commission together with certain costs and expenses incurred in connection with the Placing. Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the New Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. Subject to, inter alia, the resolutions being passed by the requisite majority at the General Meeting, it is expected that Admission will become effective and that trading in the New Shares will commence on AIM at 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2009. The completion of the Acquisition is anticipated to occur shortly after Admission. The New Shares will, when issued and fully paid, rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares, including the right to receive any dividend or other distribution declared, made or paid after Admission. Directors' participation in the Placing The following Directors have agreed to subscribe for New Shares at the Placing Price in the Placing. Immediately after Admission, it is expected that these Directors will have the following shareholdings: Director Number of New Shares Total number of ordinary Percentage of the subscribed for in the shares held following the Enlarged Share Capital Placing Placing and admission Ian Bowles 125,000(1) 348,500 0.58% Mark Loveland 25,000 1,550,000 2.59% (1) Mr Bowles has subscribed for the New Shares through his Self Invested Personal Pension ("SIPP"). Related party transactions Herald Investment Management Limited ("Herald") and Gartmore Investment Management Limited ("Gartmore") are existing substantial shareholders in Allocate and each has agreed to subscribe for New Shares in the Placing. Herald has agreed to subscribe for 2,200,000 New Shares and Gartmore has agreed to subscribe for 1,900,000 New Shares, and each such participation constitutes a related party transaction within the meaning of the AIM Rules. The Directors consider, having consulted with Numis, the Company's nominated adviser, that the terms of the subscription by Herald and Gartmore pursuant to the Placing are fair and reasonable insofar as Shareholders are concerned. Current trading The Directors believe that the Company continues to make significant progress despite the current economic climate. Allocate continues to expand its addressable markets both within the UK and overseas. In addition, the Company's recent announcement (on 17 November 2009) of a strategic partnership with NHS Professionals to deliver long-term fully integrated workforce management services to NHS organisations reinforces Allocate's position within the e-Rostering market for Healthcare in the UK. As a result, the Directors are confident that the Company's performance for the full year will be in line with their expectations. General Meeting In order that the Company is able to implement the issue of the Placing Shares it will be necessary for the Company to increase its authorised share capital, authorise the Directors to allot the New Shares and disapply statutory pre-emption rights in respect of the New Shares. Resolutions to this effect will be proposed at a General Meeting to be held at the offices of the Company, 180 Piccadilly, London W1J 9ER, at 9.30 a.m. on. 14 December 2009. A circular containing the notice of General Meeting is being posted to shareholders today, and a copy of the circular and the notice of General Meeting will shortly be available from the Company's website at www.allocatesoftware.com. Commenting on the Acquisition, Ian Bowles, CEO of Allocate, said: "Our business strategy for the healthcare sector is to be the leading supplier of workforce optimisation solutions in Europe. The acquisition of Time Care gives us a solid position in the Nordic region. Furthermore, the self-rostering application from Time Care is seen as a key addition to our existing workforce optimisation portfolio. "We are delighted with the support that we have received for the Placing and Acquisition from both our existing shareholders and from new investors, which resulted in the Placing being substantially oversubscribed." Leendert Venema, CEO of Time Care, said: "The strategic fit between Allocate and Time Care is excellent for both customers and staff. The enlarged group is now one of the leading providers of workforce management software for the healthcare sector in Europe. Healthcare is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting areas of the workforce management software market and the enlarged group is well positioned to exploit this opportunity. We look forward to contributing to Allocate's continued strong growth." Enquiries: Allocate Software plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7355 5555 Ian Bowles - Chief Executive Officer Simon Thorne - Chief Financial Officer Numis Securities Limited Nominated adviser - Michael Meade / Brent Nabbs Tel: +44 (0) 20 7260 1000 Corporate Broking - James Black Strata Partners (Financial Adviser) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7730 1200 Edward Roskill Hansard Group Tel: +44 (0) 20 7245 1100 Justine James Strata Partners, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is Allocate's exclusive financial adviser for the Acquisition. Strata Partners is acting exclusively for the Company and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to customers of each of them nor for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein. Numis Securities Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange, is Allocate's nominated adviser and broker for the purposes of the AIM Rules. Numis Securities Limited is acting exclusively for the Company and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to customers of each of them nor for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein. The distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the UK may be restricted by law and therefore persons into whose possession this document comes should inform themselves about and observe any of those restrictions. Any failure to comply with any of those restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. _______________________________ 1 Exchange rate of £1 = 11.50 SEK as at 26 November 2009, being the last business day prior to this announcement 2 Average exchange rate from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 of £1 = 12.102 SEK Allocate Software plc
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