Disclaimer :

The Competition DG makes the information provided by the notifying parties in section 1.2 of Form CO available to the public in order to increase transparency. This information has been prepared by the notifying parties under their sole responsibility, and its content in no way prejudges the view the Commission may take of the planned operation. Nor can the Commission be held responsible for any incorrect or misleading information contained therein.

SECTION 1.2

Description of the concentration

The Proposed Transaction concerns the acquisition by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (“Samsung”) of control of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (“Harman”) within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the EU Merger Regulation.

Samsung manufactures and distributes electronics and information technology products. Samsung is the ultimate parent company of the Samsung Electronics group of companies.

Harman designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers and enterprises worldwide. Its business is divided into four divisions:

• Connected Car, which provides connected car systems for vehicle applications to be installed primarily as original equipment by automotive manufacturers;

• Lifestyle Audio, which provides a wide range of consumer audio products including loudspeakers, headphones, embedded audio products for consumer electronics, and car audio systems;

• Professional Solutions, which provides audio, lighting, video and control, and automation solutions for entertainment and enterprise applications; and

• Connected Services, which creates software solutions for automotive, retail, mobile, healthcare, media and consumer electronics customers.

The Proposed Transaction will enhance Samsung’s position in the fast-growing market for smart and connected cars, allowing it to bring innovations to the automotive industry.