Air IT seals twelfth deal with move for SCS

Managed service provider (MSP) Air IT has sealed its twelfth acquisition in the space of four years as it continues to expand the business across the UK.

The target of its M&A activity this time around is Lincoln-based SCS Technology Solutions, which mirrors its new owners in its outsourced managed services approach, but delivers more geographical coverage.

Air IT has been around since 2005, but the past four years have seen the business regularly acquire other MSP businesses as it looks to establish a leading position in the UK market.

James Steventon, CEO at Air IT, said SCS would be a positive addition and that it shared the same culture and commitment to quality service delivery.

“With a strong focus on our core services, including managed IT support and Microsoft technologies, we’re looking forward to combining our joint knowledge, skills and experience to deliver even greater results for our valued clients,” he said.

Air IT will be running SCS with the same staff out of its Lincoln offices, without any interruption to the services delivered to existing customers.

In response, Matthew Stead, managing director of SCS , said the tie-up would provide the business with the chance to add more capabilities to the offerings it took out to customers. “We’ve spent the past 30 years developing and growing SCS into a successful regional business with an enviable local reputation,” he said.

“By joining Air IT, we’ll be able to offer additional technical expertise, skillsets and new exciting capabilities, while continuing to deliver the highest levels of service to our clients. We are very much looking forward to continuing our journey of growth and establishing Air IT as the IT partner of choice for SMEs in Lincolnshire and beyond,”  he added.

Stead indicated that there was particular excitement about being able to tap into Air Sec, the security offering and SOC from its new owners, and provide customers with a greater depth of data protection.

Air IT was last active in the M&A space last July, picking up Yorkshire-based Vital Technology Group in a move designed to bolster its Microsoft skills.

Both the SCS and Vital deals have come after Air IT appointed Paul Vanstone as head of corporate development with a brief to drive its M&A strategy forward.

There has already been a fair amount of consolidation in the MSP market in the first couple of months of 2024. In recent weeks, SCC has picked up Resonate, Conscia added ITGL and CodeStone Group has snapped up Cloud Business. All the deals have echoed the Air IT motivation to add more skilled staff, expand customer bases and gain more geographical coverage.