20:20 sees AxCom as route into VoIP market
Mobile phone distributor acquires rival
UK mobile phone and accessories distributor 20:20 Mobile Group has branched out into the voice over IP (VoIP) market by acquiring rival AxCom.
AxCom, which operates in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Hong Kong, has an annual turnover of £250m and stocks mobile handsets, accessories and fixed-line products.
Matthew Moulding, finance director at 20:20, said: “Putting the two businesses together gives us a greater ability to deliver in the converged market place. AxCom generates about 70 per cent of its sales from mobile phones, with 30 per cent coming from products we don’t have, such as set-top boxes, modems, DECT phones and conferencing phones.”
AxCom is 20:20’s first acquisition since it was bought from the Caudwell Group by private equity firm Doughty Hanson in September. Moulding said the firm would “continue to review the industry to see where it can add complementary business”.
Bernie Dodwell, European security manager at Westcon, said the acquisition mirrored Westcon’s recent move into fixed-mobile convergence in partnership with handset distributor Unique Distribution (CRN, 13 October).
“It’s interesting that 20:20 is going in the other direction and acquiring a voice over IP distributor,” he said.