Sema Group Announces Interim Results for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2000; Sema Group Shows Continued Strong Financial Performance

Business Wire, Sept 5, 2000

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 5, 2000

Sema Group (Nasdaq: SEMA) announced half-year results for the period ending June 30, 2000. Sema (www.semagroup.com) has been quoted on the Nasdaq since July 31, 2000.

Highlights

- Revenues were up 13% to(pound)720 m (at constant exchange rates) and
operating profit before goodwill was up 27% from 5.8% to 6.8% of revenue.

- Profit before tax and goodwill grew by 23% from (pound)38.5 to (pound)47.3m
and EPS was up 25% from 6.1p to 7.6p.

- Strong Book-to-Bill ratio in Q2.

- Completed merger with LHS creating a world leader in mobile communications
software. Results of LHS will be included from 29 July 2000, date of
completion.

- Sema Group now quoted on Nasdaq (NASDAQ:SEMA).

Operations - Achieved strong growth and good prospects in high growth markets

- Strong growth in products revenues 34% coming mainly from

telecoms and payment systems. Successful launch of new generation

payment systems product, Essentis with two major customers:

Alliance and Leicester and ABN Amro.

- Growth ahead of expectations in telecoms. Strong growth in mobile

telecoms 130% and major wins in CCBS, prepaid, messaging, GPRS

and UMTS, including TIM and Wind (Italy), Retevision (Spain), US

Cellular and SBC (USA).

- Outstanding growth in E-Commerce ( 269%). With 1100 specialists

this dedicated business unit is working on strategic projects in

e-banking : Fortuneo, Ze-Bank and AGF (France), e-telecoms : BT

(UK) and e-travel : Rumbo (Spain).

Commenting on the announcement, Pierre Bonelli, Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am very pleased with the strong results we announced today. The continued growth and solid financial performance that Sema Group has achieved over the past six months reinforces our strategy of being a world-leading IT and business services company. The successful acquisition of LHS positions Sema Group as a pre-eminent player in the telecom sector, as we continue to broaden and enhance our global platform of software and services. As we adapt to the changing marketplace, we are focusing our efforts to leverage our strengths in the faster growing IT sectors. We are confident that Sema Group is positioned for sustained growth in the future."