Edinburgh, December 2009

ATOS ORIGIN NAMED BEST BUSINESS IN WEST LOTHIAN

A significant Livingston employer, Atos Origin, the international IT services company, has scooped the coveted Best Business title at this year’s West Lothian Business Excellence Awards 2009.

The Awards are run by West Lothian Chamber of Commerce and are the biggest celebration of business achievement in the region. Open to all businesses trading in the area, they showcase talent, drive, commitment and success.

Atos Origin employs over 280 people in Livingston with specialists working around the clock supporting some of the company’s biggest customers such as NHSScotland and BNP Paribas. Atos Origin’s large Scottish customer base includes RBS, Capita, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, First Group, Stagecoach, Grampian Country Foods and the General Registers of Scotland.

The Best Business category is awarded to organisations that demonstrate all-round excellence in terms of increased employment opportunities, commitment to leadership and accomplishments demonstrating effectiveness in business and innovativeness of product or service. The award criteria also requires that the winning business has made a significant positive impact on the business community and economy of West Lothian.

As well its business achievements, Atos Origin prides itself in its environmental efforts having introduced a car sharing scheme for their people in July 2008. The initiative, which encourages staff to share the drive to and from work helps reduce the company’s carbon footprint and helps staff save money too. It takes corporate social responsibility seriously too and works with a number of charities across the country, Sick Kids Foundation and the Sunndach Children’s Respite Home in Livingston being just two examples.

Steve Langmead, Vice President - Scotland at Atos Origin, said: “It’s a real coup to win Best Business this year and we are absolutely delighted. We take pride in ensuring we have a balanced business that focuses on our customers, our people and the environment we work in. This award recognises the excellent commitment and focus of our team and I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate them all on this award and thank them for their efforts – we’re all looking forward to a long future in West Lothian.”

Carol Wright of Springfords Accountants, sponsors of the Best Business Award said: “The quality of the entries was extremely high and, despite the economic recession, it’s wonderful to be able to recognise that some companies are not only thriving – they are excelling in the current climate. This year’s entries provoked considerable debate amongst the judges but the final decision to award Best Business to Atos Origin was unanimous. Atos Origin demonstrated clearly that it is a fantastic business with fantastic people who not only achieve business success but who care about corporate social responsibility and the environment.”

ENDS

About Atos Origin

Atos Origin is an international information technology services company. Its business is turning client vision into results through the application of Consulting, Systems Integration and Managed Operations. The Company’s annual revenue is EUR 5.5 billion and it employs 50,000 professionals in 40 countries. Atos Origin is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic Games and has a client base of international blue-chip companies across all sectors. Atos Origin is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market and trades as Atos Origin, Atos Worldline and Atos Consulting. For further information please consult the company’s website at: http://www.atosorigin.com or www.atosorigin.co.uk

In Scotland, Atos Origin has over 600 employees operating out of offices throughout the country, the main sites being situated in Livingston, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

The company’s core business in Scotland is with the Health Sector - working in partnership with NHSScotland since 1999. Atos Origin’s other Scottish customers include First Group, ScotRail, the Scottish Government, Grampian Country Foods and RBS.

For more information or photography, please contact Karen Morrison at McGarvie Morrison Media on 0141 221 9041 / 07771 936 726 or email karen@mmm.pr