Leuven, Belgium – June 6, 2006 – Option N.V. (Euronext: OPTI; OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that it has been selected for membership of the Kempen / SNS Smaller Europe SRI (Socially Responsible Investment) Index, effective as from end June 2006. Membership is only available to companies with the very highest standards and practice in the three areas of business ethics, human resources and the environmental consciousness.
Frederic Convent, CFO Option, commented: “Option takes pride in being a responsible citizen in the communities in which it operates. Being selected into the Kempen/SNS SRI Universe is welcome recognition of our efforts and corroborates the regular supplier assessments undertaken by Option’s network operator customers, in which corporate social responsibility features highly. Our company has been part of the Ethibel Investment Register for several years where we are one of only 12 Belgian companies listed as an ‘Excellence’ partner. Option is also currently the only Belgian company alongside global brands such as Intel, Nokia, Cisco and Alcatel in the ‘Technology Hardware’ sector.”
The Kempen SNS Smaller Europe SRI Index (SRI Index) is the first index to track the performance of SRI smaller companies in Europe. Launched on 1 October 2003, the SRI Index is an initiative of Kempen Capital Management (KCM), a leading Dutch asset management company and SNS Asset Management (SNS), KCM’s sustainability consultant. The index represents a subset of the HSBC Smaller European Companies Index. Prior to its selection for membership of the index, Option underwent an in-depth assessment by analysts from SNS. Additional information about this index can be found under www.kempen.com.
ABOUT OPTION:
Option NV (www.option.com), the wireless technology company, is a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacture of 3G WCDMA (HSDPA and UMTS), EDGE, GPRS, GSM and WLAN technology products for wireless connectivity solutions. Option has built up an enviable reputation for creating exciting products that enhance the performance and functionality of wireless communications. Option’s headquarters are in Leuven, Belgium. The company has Research & Development in Leuven, a Software and Applications development centre in Adelsried (Germany), a Wireless Router development centre in Stockholm (Sweden) and an ISO 9002 production engineering and logistics facility in Cork, Ireland.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Jan Callewaert, CEO
Frederic Convent, CFO
Tel + 32 (0) 16 317 411
Email: investor@option.com