According to Lectra, business conditions were particularly weak during the first quarter, and many of its customers reported a further severe deterioration in their situations.

As a result, first-quarter orders for new software licenses and CAD/CAM equipment (EUR 10.4 million) were down 50% overall compared with the first quarter of 2008. The decline in orders gathered pace in 2008 with each succeeding quarter, culminating in a fall of 48% in the fourth quarter 2008. At the same time, orders for spare parts and consumables, which traditionally hold up well, have fallen sharply, something which happened for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2008, because of significantly lower production levels and plant closures.

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