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Pixel snaps up security player Cyphra
Acquisition will add more security depth to Pixel’s cloud and managed service Perfect Image operation
Channel veteran Tom Kelly is again in the headlines after his latest berth, Pixel, acquired Northern Ireland security specialist Cyphra.
Kelly, who was a former boss at Logicalis, is chairman at Pixel, the parent company of cloud and services player Perfect Image, and has been involved with the move for a firm that will add more security expertise.
“Cyphra is a strategic acquisition for Pixel, as we continue to build out our portfolio of market leading IT managed services companies,” said Kelly. “We recognised that cyber security was fast becoming the major challenge for customers and having looked at the market we identified Cyphra as an ideal acquisition. Its strong leadership team, exceptional technical expertise, stellar customer base and world-class technology partnerships set them apart.
“The addition of Cyphra creates a specialist managed IT services proposition with a combined £4m+ EBITDA, and I’m really looking forward to working with the leadership teams to help scale and grow the business to the next level,” he added.
Cyphra has been around since 2014 and has relationships with numerous vendors in the security market, including Palo Alto Networks, F5, Fortinet, CyberArk and Checkpoint. The firm provides cloud and managed services for customers across Northern Ireland and will be expanding its reach across the UK as a result of the Pixel deal.
Paddy Trainor, managing director of Cyphra, will be joining the Pixel board and help the firm lean on Perfect Image’s established operations to get in front of more customers. “This will enable us to continue our investment in our people, our partners and our customers, and achieve our ambition of becoming the leading ‘pure-play’ cyber security company in the UK,” said Trainor. “Working alongside the Perfect Image team will give us the scale, resources and capabilities to achieve this.
“Our deep technical know-how and engineering excellence have enabled us to become the go-to cyber security specialist for our customers and partners, including some of the largest of government organisations in Northern Ireland, national Service Providers, and the world’s leading cyber vendors, including Palo Alto Networks, F5 and CyberArk,” he added.
Rising focus on security
Chris Shields, sales and marketing director at Perfect Image, said the deal had been struck at a time when the focus on security had been rising.
“With data now becoming mission critical for every organisation – large or small, public or private – effective cyber security is a must-have,” he said. “Working alongside Cyphra, we have even greater capability to take to our existing customers, as well as driving new customer opportunities and growth.”
