Much more before the international divorce, the two sophipolitan entities : Andersen Consulting (400 employees) and Arthur Andersen (60 people) had already separated themselves in Sophia.
The international divorce, announced this week, between Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen will not have any consequence throughout the technopole where the two entities are both very well implanted. The sophipolitan center of Andersen Consulting will have to change its name and its logotype before the end of the year (December 31st ‘2000), according to a justice decision.
De facto separation in 1994
But, in Sophia Antipolis, the two entities had been working in separate premises since 1994, when Andersen Consulting had entered the premises owned by the former firm Digital. Arthur Andersen had thus stood aloof from Andersen Consulting and both of them all had lead totally separate lives throughout the region
At that moment Andersen Consulting had developped a lot. Its employees were working with the entire Europe and the sophipolitan center became one of the best windows of the group in Europe.
Arthur Andersen, on the other hand, has only really begun its development one year and a half ago. During years Arthur Andersen Sophia Antipolis had continued to work for itself as a pole for the world computer network of Arthur Andersen. But now, even if the activity keeps on being important, all the other activities are also being developped
Nowadays, about 60 people are working for Arthur Andersen. They are specialized in information technologies and have clients like Thomson, Aucland, Republica, Crédit Agricole Provence Côte d’Azur, Casino Rhul, the Chamber of Commerce of Nice, NMT Neurosciences, Monaco SBM…Last March, the firm moved to settle in 1,200 m² at « Espaces de Sophia », road of the Lucioles, in order to make possible new developments…