Comparex Informationssysteme GmbH says its results for the six months to June 30 are satisfactory. We understand that the company was profitable, but it seems to be keeping the fact a deep, dark secret. The figures for the six months show a turnover of UKP250m, but the company does not release six monthly profit figures, and this time round it isn’t putting out comparative figures for last year, so there isn’t much information to go on. Comparative figures are not being provided because they may lead to misinterpretation of results of individual countries due to the changes made to the firm’s sales territories in 1993, when it carved up sales areas with Hitachi Data Systems Inc. Comparisons will be presented at the year end. Of the total revenue, UKP150m or 63% originated in Germany, which the firm says indicates that business is doing well there. The same period last time saw around 50% or UKP169m of revenue coming from Germany (CI No 2,237). Mainframe business accounted for 44% of total sales at UKP106m, peripherals for 37% at UKP88m and services 19% respectively. The firm is not taking any restructuring charges from the changes that occurred last year as they were all accounted for last time. Current staff numbers have now be reduced to 950. In its usual wary style the company is being cautious in its assessment of business trends for the remainder of its fiscal year, giving the impression that it is not expecting to make a profit for the full year. The satisfactory results for achieved during the first half of the year are not necessarily a firm indication of what the overall results will be for the whole of 1994, the company says.
