2024-03-05 07:30:40
Between management changes, shareholder conflicts and bad strategic choices, the future of Atos is getting darker. For the French government, the issue is delicate, because the French IT group plays an essential role in contributing to the nuclear deterrent and the security of France. It is also the IT service provider for Paris 2024…
Péchiney, Arcelor, Alstom, Alcatel… and Atos. In the section “our disappearing flagships”, “the world leader in digital transformation” – as it presents itself on its site – will it in turn disappear or be dismantled? The group is in fact weighed down by 5 billion euros of debt!
In an interview in the daily Les Échos published on February 5, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire indicated: “We will not let Atos’ industrial activities, which represent tens of thousands of jobs, fall by the wayside. (…) The State will use all means at its disposal to preserve strategic activities. »
Led for 10 years (2009 to 2019) by Thierry Breton, current European Commissioner responsible for the internal market, Atos is a digital services company which, thanks to its expertise and global presence, plays a crucial role in nuclear deterrence and the security of France.
Founded in 1997, the group quickly established itself as a world leader in its field after purchasing the IT activities of German industrialist Siemens and Xerox. In 2018, he paid 3.4 billion to get his hands on Syntela digital specialist.
The most powerful supercomputer in Europe
Thanks to its advanced technological skills, the company offers innovative solutions to strengthen nuclear deterrence. Its services include the management of strategic information systems, the protection of sensitive data and the development of cutting-edge technologies.
Atos works closely with the French armed forces to ensure optimal security.
In the field of nuclear deterrence, Atos offers a complete range of solutions, ranging from the management of communications systems to secure infrastructures. These services guarantee efficient and reliable coordination between the different components of the French nuclear defense system.
So much expertise that appeals to companies and countries. Last October, the IT group won Jupiter, a 500 million euro contract for the manufacture, with the German ParTec, of a supercomputer, the most powerful ever delivered to Europe.
Assembled near Angers, Atos’ high performance computing (HPC) represents a major asset for French sovereignty.
Sold for several hundred million euros, they are essential to the calculation needs of meteorological services, research centers, particularly in artificial intelligence or materials sciences, or certain manufacturers, such as EDF, Total or Airbus in France.
And despite this high level of expertise, a sale by cut is seriously considered. At the start of 2024, the group announced that it had entered into discussions with Airbus for the sale of its cybersecurity activities grouped within its big data and cybersecurity (BDS) branch.
A few months before the Olympics, Atos’ difficulties are worrying. A bug, for example, in ticketing (13.5 million tickets will be issued) or a very well orchestrated or powerful cyberattack during this global event would have a disastrous impact on the group.
“We can imagine attacks against timing or the anti-doping system, or even transport or ticketing. In short, anything that would create visible disruptions”, explains Vincent Strubelthe director of the National Information Systems Security Agency (ANSSI).
During the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, a computer virus called Olympic Destroyer infected several computer systems managed by Atos… The group quickly identified and stopped the threat.
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