12 October 2021, Econocom, Europeâs first digital general contractor, has announced that its satellite Alter Way, an emblematic player in open source in France, will be joining the Smile group, which seeks to bolster its role as Europeâs open-source leader. Alter Way will remain a special business partner to Econocom in open-source services.
Jean-Louis Bouchard, Econocomâs founder and chairman, said, âAfter Alter Wayâs six fruitful years in our group, Iâm delighted about its merger with Smile, which creates a new way for us to partner with each other. Econocomâs model of satellites has once again proved its worth in helping cutting-edge firms develop through support from our groupâs expertise and client portfolio.â
VĂ©ronique Torner and Philippe MontargĂšs, co-founders and chairs of Alter Way, added, âAfter an exciting entrepreneurial journey in the Econocom galaxy, which helped us successfully develop our Build for Run plan and grow quickly, weâre proud to help create Europeâs future champion in open source and in responsible digital technology alongside Marc Palazon (CEO of Smile) and his talented senior management team.â
The operation will take effect in the coming weeks once the final administrative formalities are completed.

