Just-listed GDC in phone deal

By Aimee McClinchy

Friday 26th May 2000

In a move set to shake up the phone market newly listed GDC Communications has signed a major deal with French phone giant Alcatel to distribute its call management office products here.

The move will cause a market stir as GDC Communications brings Alcatel's phones into direct competition with its other phone suppliers, Ericsson, Siemens and NEC, who hold the lion's share of the market.

Alcatel has a distributor, Commspec, but has now done a national deal with GDC in a bid to grab a more significant market share.

Locally owned telco GDC made an IPO last month and listed on April 26 on the main board of the Stock Exchange at $1.85, up 35c on the issue price.

Its shares were trading at $2.12 yesterday morning.

GDC Communications will not reveal how much it expects the Alcatel deal to deliver a year in sales but it is said to be worth millions.

Alcatel has spent billions in a two-year acquisition programme around the globe and reported sales of $45.1 billion and net income of $1.2 billion last year. Its shares are trading at $US44.5 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Asia and Asia Pacific accounted for 6.9% of its net sales in the first quarter the year, a percentage the company is banking on rapidly increasing.

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