RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER

for

SQS SOFTWARE QUALITY SYSTEMS AG

by

ASSYSTEM SERVICES DEUTSCHLAND GmbH

(formerly Weilchensee 884. V V GmbH)

Offer closed

Assystem Services Deutschland GmbH ('Bidco') announces that, further to its announcement of 6 February 2018, the Offer closed at 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 19 February 2018. For the avoidance of doubt, it is therefore no longer possible for SQS Software Quality Systems AG ('SQS') shareholders to accept or withdraw their acceptance of the Offer.

For the purposes of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules published by the FCA, following closing of the Offer, Bidco is now legally and/or beneficially interested in 32,035,980 SQS Shares representing 98.77 per cent. of SQS's issued share capital.

Settlement of the consideration due under the Offer has been and will be effected in the manner set out in the Offer Document (and as summarised in the announcement by Bidco on 6 February 2018).

Defined terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meanings as given to them in the Offer Document.

Enquiries:

SQS Software Quality Systems AG Tel: +49 2203 91 54 0
Diederik Vos, Chief Executive Officer
René Gawron, Chief Financial Officer
Numis (Nominated Adviser, Financial Adviser and Joint Broker to SQS) Tel: +44 20 7260 1000
Simon Willis
Jamie Lillywhite
Mark Lander
FTI Consulting (Financial Media and Investor Relations to SQS) Tel: +44 20 3727 1000
Matt Dixon / Dwight Burden sqs@fticonsulting.com
Assystem Services Deutschland GmbH
(formerly Weilchensee 884. V V GmbH)
Tel: +33 155 650 325
Olivier Aldrin, Managing Director
Rothschild (Financial Adviser to Assystem Technologies and Bidco) Tel: +44 207 280 5000
Alistair Allen
Stuart Vincent
Omaier Akhtar
Ricky Paul

Numis, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as nominated adviser, financial adviser and joint broker exclusively for SQS and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than SQS for providing the protections afforded to clients of Numis, nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matter or arrangement referred to in this announcement.

Rothschild, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for Assystem Technologies and Bidco and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Assystem Technologies and Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Rothschild, nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matter or arrangement referred to in this announcement.

Further information

This announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute, or form part of, any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Offer or otherwise. The Offer is being made solely by means of the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance accompanying the Offer Document (if applicable), which contain the full terms of, and Conditions to, the Offer, including details of how the Offer may be accepted. Any response to the Offer should be made only on the basis of information contained in the Offer Document. SQS Shareholders are advised to read the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance accompanying the Offer Document (if applicable) carefully.

This announcement has been prepared for the purposes of complying with English law, the rules of the London Stock Exchange and the Code (insofar as set out within the Framework Agreement) and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.

Overseas jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law, and the availability of the Offer to persons who are residents, citizens or nationals of jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom or Germany may be restricted by laws and/or regulations of those jurisdictions. Therefore any persons who are subject to the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom or Germany should inform themselves about and observe any applicable requirements in their jurisdiction. Any failure to comply with the applicable requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such requirements by any person. Unless otherwise determined by Bidco and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction and no person may accept the Offer by any such use, means, instrumentality or from within a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and all documentation relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction, and persons receiving this announcement and all documentation relating to the Offer (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise distribute or send them in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction.

Unless otherwise permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer may not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into, or by the use of mails or any means or instrumentality (including, but not limited to, facsimile, e-mail or other electronic transmission, telex or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any facility of a national, state or other securities exchange of, any Restricted Jurisdiction and the Offer may not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facilities.

Notice to German investors

The German Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz) ('WpÜG') does not apply to the Offer as the SQS Shares are not traded on an organised market pursuant to Section 1 paragraph 1 of the WpÜG.

Notice to US investors

The Offer is being made for securities in a German registered company whose shares are traded on AIM and on the Open Market of Deutsche Börse, and SQS Shareholders in the United States should be aware that this announcement and any documentation relating to the Offer have been, or will be, prepared in accordance with disclosure requirements, format and style that differ from those in the United States. All financial information that is included in this announcement or that may be included or referred to in any other documents relating to the Offer, have been, or will be, prepared, save where Bidco and SQS have expressly agreed otherwise, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards adopted by the European Union and therefore may not be comparable to financial statements of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with US GAAP.

The Offer, if required to be made, will be made in the United States pursuant to applicable exemptions under the US tender offer rules and securities laws and otherwise in accordance with the applicable provisions of English and German law. Accordingly, the Offer will be subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that are different from those applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law.

Both SQS and Bidco are companies registered under the laws of Germany. It may not be possible for SQS Shareholders in the United States to effect service of process within the United States upon SQS or Bidco or their respective officers or directors or to enforce against any of them judgments of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. It may not be possible to sue SQS or Bidco or their respective officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of the US securities laws. There is also substantial doubt as to enforceability in the United Kingdom in original actions, or in actions for the enforcement of judgments of US courts, based on the civil liability provisions of US federal securities laws.

Requesting hard copy documents

A hard copy of this announcement and any information incorporated by reference in this announcement may be requested free of charge by contacting the Registrars on +44 (0)371 707 1312 or by writing to them at Computershare Investor Services PLC, Corporate Actions Projects, Bristol, BS99 6AH, United Kingdom.

SQS Shareholders may also request that all future documents, announcements and information to be sent to them in relation to the Offer should be in hard copy form.

The Offer is subject to the provisions of the Code insofar as set out in the Framework Agreement.

SQS Software Quality Systems AG published this content on 20 February 2018 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 20 February 2018 07:50:02 UTC.

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