News Release
www.nortel.com | ||||
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | May 19, 2005 | |||
| For more information: | ||||
| Media: | Investors: | |||
| Jay Barta | Ann Fuller | (888) 901-7286 | ||
| (972) 685-2381 | (613) 768-1208 | (905) 863-6049 | ||
jbarta@nortel.com | afuller@nortel.com | investor@nortel.com |
NORTEL ANNOUNCES EXPIRATION OF
HART-SCOTT-RODINO WAITING PERIOD
RELATING TO ACQUISITION OF PEC SOLUTIONS
WASHINGTON—Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] today announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976, as amended, relating to the proposed acquisition of PEC Solutions, Inc.* [NASDAQ: PECS] by Nortel’s U.S. subsidiary, Nortel Networks Inc. (NNI), has expired. As previously announced, the tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of PEC Solutions is currently scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Tuesday, May 31, 2005.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world’s most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, Nortel delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world’s greatest challenges. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web atwww.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visitwww.nortel.com/news.
Notice to Investors
This announcement is not a recommendation, an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of PEC Solutions. NNI and its wholly owned subsidiary, PS Merger Sub, Inc., have filed a tender offer statement, and PEC Solutions has filed a solicitation and recommendation statement, with respect to the tender offer with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. PEC Solutions security holders should read the tender offer statement (including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) and the solicitation and recommendation statement
carefully because they contain important information with respect to the tender offer. All of those materials (and all other offer documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) are available at no charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Website atwww.sec.gov. The tender offer statement and related materials may be obtained for free by directing such requests to Georgeson Shareholder Communication Inc., 17 State Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10004, or by calling toll free (800) 491-3042.
Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events described in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “foresee”, “plan”, “guidance” and similar expressions and variations thereof, identify certain of such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent the intentions, plans, expectations, and beliefs of Nortel or other identified persons, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Nortel. In particular, statements relating to the tender offer, the expected date of closing of the tender offer and the merger, management, potential benefits of the transaction, and expected integration, growth and improved customer service benefits are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause Nortel’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include among others: the timing, and probability of completion of the acquisition of PEC, uncertainties as to the timing of the tender offer, the satisfaction of closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals, whether certain industry segments will grow as anticipated, the competitive environment among providers of IT solutions, the level of government IT expenditures, and difficulties encountered in integrating companies and technologies, Nortel’s ability to realize the anticipated cost savings, revenue enhancements, operating efficiencies and other benefits from the acquisition of PEC.
In addition, these results or events may be affected by the outcome of regulatory and criminal investigations and civil litigation actions related to Nortel’s restatements and the impact any resulting legal judgments, settlements, penalties and expenses could have on Nortel’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity; the findings of Nortel’s independent review and implementation of recommended remedial measures; the outcome of the independent review with respect to revenues for specific identified transactions, which review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues; the restatement or revisions of Nortel’s previously announced or filed financial results and resulting negative publicity; the existence of material weaknesses in Nortel’s internal controls over financial reporting; the impact of Nortel’s and Nortel Networks Limited’s (“NNL”) failure to timely file their financial statements and related periodic reports, including breach of its support facility and public debt obligations and Nortel’s inability to access its shelf registration statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”); ongoing SEC reviews, which may result in changes to their respective public filings; the potential delisting or suspension of Nortel’s and NNL’s publicly traded securities; the impact of management changes, including the termination for cause of Nortel’s former CEO, CFO and Controller in April 2004; the sufficiency of Nortel’s restructuring activities, including the work plan announced on August 19, 2004 as updated on September 30, 2004, including the potential for higher actual costs to be incurred in connection with restructuring actions compared to the
estimated costs of such actions; cautious or reduced spending by Nortel’s customers; fluctuations in Nortel’s operating results and general industry, economic and market conditions and growth rates; fluctuations in Nortel’s cash flow, level of outstanding debt and current debt ratings; Nortel’s ability to recruit and retain qualified employees; the use of cash collateral to support Nortel’s normal course business activities; the dependence on Nortel’s subsidiaries for funding; the impact of Nortel’s defined benefit plans and deferred tax assets on results of operations and Nortel’s cash flow; the adverse resolution of class actions, litigation in the ordinary course of business, intellectual property disputes and similar matters; Nortel’s dependence on new product development and its ability to predict market demand for particular products; the impact of rapid technological and market change; the impact of price and product competition; barriers to international growth and global economic conditions, particularly in emerging markets and including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of rationalization and consolidation in the telecommunications industry; changes in regulation of the Internet; the impact of the credit risks of Nortel’s customers and the impact of customer financing and commitments; stock market volatility generally and as a result of acceleration of the settlement date or early settlement, which is currently not available, of Nortel’s forward purchase contracts; the impact of Nortel’s supply and outsourcing contracts that contain delivery and installation provisions, which, if not met, could result in the payment of substantial penalties or liquidated damages; and the future success of Nortel’s strategic alliances. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Nortel with the SEC.
-end-
*Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel. PEC is a trademark of PEC.