Ambitious ACS plays channel consolidator

IT services giant looks to UK and Germany for suitable resellers to follow on from Anix purchase

Fortune 500 firm ACS is emerging as an aggressive UK channel consolidator after pledging to follow up its purchase of Anix with further acquisitions.

The IT services giant is assessing further targets in the UK and Germany with revenues of between £50m and £100m after agreeing to buy IBM specialist Anix from parent Xploite for £31.5m.

It is ACS’ second UK IBM acquisition in as many years following its 2008 purchase of Syan.

George Djuric, UK managing director of ACS, claimed the deal, set to close in late June, will make it Big Blue’s biggest UK SME partner.

“ACS has started to expand its European operations, starting with the UK, as from a anaged services perspective it is still a good market to invest in,” he told CRN.

“Do not be surprised if you see us make another acquisition in the second half in the UK or Germany. We have a number of active discussions going on.”

Meanwhile, Xploite is planning its next venture after making a £10.5m profit from the sale of Anix.

Financial director Robert Arrowsmith said: “Our objective in life is to buy, build and sell so I am sure we will do it again. We will look at another area of the market but I can’t say what yet.”

Gary Woodward, chief executive of VAR Pasporte, said: “It is a good time to take advantage of buy-and-build opportunities and Xploite now has a warchest to do something with.”