(Bloomberg) -- Carlyle Group Inc. is considering a sale of HSO, in a deal that could value the Dutch technology services firm at about $1 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said. 

The buyout firm has talked to potential advisers to evaluate exit options, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. A formal sale process could start later this year, with other private equity firms as the most likely suitors, they said. 

Deliberations are at an early stage and Carlyle could decide to keep the asset for longer. A representative for Carlyle declined to comment.  

HSO is a Microsoft Corp. solutions integrator that designs, implements and runs business applications systems based on Microsoft’s cloud technology and solutions such as Dynamics365, Azure and Microsoft365. It serves 1,200 clients worldwide and employs more than 2,500 people globally, its website shows.  

Carlyle invested in the Amsterdam-based company with an undisclosed sum in 2019, according to a press statement at the time. 

HSO has made several acquisitions since Carlyle’s investment. In 2022 it bought Motion10, a fellow Netherlands-based specialist in cloud transformation. 

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