Leaner Azzurri flexes its muscles

Martin St Quinton will be kept busy in his role looking for potential targets

Azzurri has hinted that it may acquire or merge with firms of a similar size as it looks to broaden its managed services offering.

The voice, data and mobility integrator claims it has emerged from its restructuring process ­ which saw 71 job losses ­ leaner than its rivals and has put acquisitions firmly back on the agenda.

Dave Macfarlane, chief technology officer, said: “We are looking outside our traditional space.

“Customers come to us because we can run their communications estates better and more cost-effectively than they can. What that estate looks like in two years’ time is exactly what we are looking at for our future growth and potential acquisitions.”

Sales director Jason Standerwick said that Azzurri founder and former chief executive Martin St Quinton would be “kept busy” in his new role hunting acquisition targets.

“Martin is looking at businesses that are turning over £100m to £200m, so they would be more mergers than acquisitions,” he said.

Barrie Desmond, business development manager at distributor VADition, said: “If Azzurri was to bolster its proposition with a mobile virtual network operator it would be a stroke of genius. Fixed-mobile convergence is the way forward as more people are using just one device.”

Azzurri saw a small rise in sales to £150m for the year to the end of June. “Judging by our order book we will see far more growth in the next 12 months,” said Standerwick.