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Avanade and Intact add fuel to consolidation trend
Microsoft specialist and ERP player seal acquisitions as they look to strengthen their positions
Consolidation across the channel has continued, with Avanade and Intact both sealing deals to bolster their market positions.
The latest deals follow a busy start to the week, with BCN announcing that it had a fresh private equity backer, and shared the common goal of gaining more geographical coverage, skills and access to a wider customer base.
Microsoft solution specialist Avanade has moved for Netherlands-based legacy transformation expert Asysco and will add the company’s staff to its Azure Centre of Excellence.
That centre has a focus on helping users move away from legacy environments and more deeply into the cloud. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Asysco’s technology and expertise allows companies to move beyond the limitations and expense of legacy mainframe applications to cloud-based technologies, from which they can then springboard to a full digital transformation,” said Sean Peterson, global application & infrastructure lead at Avanade.
“In Asysco, we have found a business that strategically complements ours. We share a dedication to our clients and employees, a commitment to world-class delivery and a deep technology expertise with a belief in the power of Microsoft technologies to spur business transformation.”
Jaap van Barneveld, CEO of Asysco, said that joining Avanade would provide the business with more growth opportunities.
“On our own, we were already on an incredible growth trajectory and market leading in our field, but with Avanade, we can take this even further,” he said. “Together, we offer our clients unique global expertise with respect to legacy and application modernisation.”
Meanwhile, Intact has decided that after a 16-year relationship in which Southampton-based Blue Rock Systems has been reselling, implementing and supporting its enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, the time was right to buy the business.
Justin Lawless, CEO of Intact, said the addition of Blue Rock would strengthen the firm’s ability to serve its key vertical markets and would add more skilled staff.
“The acquisition of Blue Rock Systems is part of Intact’s strategy to become the leading provider of ERP and business software solutions in the merchant and distribution sector,” he added. “This important development adds to our strong customer base and involves a team of highly skilled individuals, with deep software industry expertise, who will enhance customer service and support our growth plans.
“Blue Rock Systems grew revenue by 30% last year, returning double-digit profit growth. Its 43 staff and senior management are all vastly experienced in the software industry and, working collaboratively as part of Intact, will add immense value to our product and service offering.”
Blue Rock Systems founder George Troullis said the tie-up would build on its existing relationship. “This acquisition will see existing and new customers benefit from an expansion of services and improved processes, with an integrated team sharing best practice to ensure we maximise Intact’s market performance,” he said.
