Paris, August 27th 2003

Following press articles about negotiations toward a take-over of Transiciel by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, the Group wishes to state that, while preliminary contacts have indeed taken place for a while with that company, at this stage those are only informal discussions which have not led to any commitment nor even to any agreement in principle. These discussions are part of a process which the Group conducts on an on-going basis in order to identify possible development opportunities.

About Cap Gemini Ernst & Young
The Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Group is one of the world’s largest providers of Consulting, Technology and Outsourcing services. The company helps businesses implement growth strategies and leverage technology. The organisation employs approximately 50,000 people worldwide and reported 2002 global revenues of 7.047 billion euros.
More information about individual service lines, offices and research is available at www.cgey.com