UK purchase launches Aris into Europe

US training firm Aris Corporation has bought Oxford Computer Group (OCG) in a bid to grow its European business.

Terms of the stock-swap deal were not disclosed. Aris turned over $30 million last year, compared with OCG?s $8.5 million.

OCG is Aris? fifth purchase in the past 10 months. It plans to make more acquisitions by the end of the year

Don Taylor, marketing manager at OCG, said: ?This is Aris? first step into Europe and I?m confident it won?t be their last. France and Germany are the obvious next steps.?

All of OCG?s 101 staff will be retained as part of the 365-strong organisation. MD Hugh Simpson-Wells will remain as head of OCG, reporting to Aris CEO Paul Song.

?Our acquisition strategy has been to find the best company in a given region and bring it into the Aris fold. Oxford Computer Group is one of the UK?s leaders in IT training and consulting,? said Song.

OCG was set up in 1983 and has four locations in the UK. It supplies training, consulting and applications development. It has 30 Microsoft certified systems engineers and 33 Microsoft certified solution developers.