E92plus dismisses sale rumours

Distributor stamps out rumours that it is up for sale

The owners of security distributor e92plus have quashed mounting speculation they are looking to sell the business and set up as a reseller.

Rumours that e92plus’ commercial director James Maunder is in negotiations to buy the firm have been denied by both Maunder and e92plus managing director Mukesh Gupta.

Gupta said: “We are not selling our organisation to anyone and have no intention to sell it to anyone in the next few years.”

Maunder, a former managing director of Azlan UK, added: “E92plus is currently going through record-breaking growth so has no reason to sell, and I’m certainly not buying it.”

Patrick Conte, executive vice-president at application continuity vendor Teneros, which recently appointed e92plus as its exclusive UK distributor (CRN Online, 26 April), said: “James is very experienced in distribution, and was brought into e92plus to grow it to the next level. If these rumours are true then the firm would be in very good shape.”

Onlookers have also alleged that Gupta is preparing to launch a security reseller specialised in Trend Micro, which is rumoured to be axing e92plus from its distribution line-up (CRN, 30 April). However, Gupta said: “This is not true. Our strategy is to be a 100 per cent trade-only distributor.”

Bernie Dodwell, European security manager at Westcon Group, said: “The industry is rife with rumours of companies either being acquired or taken over, and this shows the dynamism of the security market.”

Dave Ellis, director of e-security at rival distributor Computerlinks, said: “With the exception of Trend Micro and Websense, e92plus has tried to refocus its business on early adopters. Because of that we don’t conflict with them that heavily.”

E92plus’s parent, Axcelerant, offloaded reseller arm Secon Solutions in 2004, after admitting it didn’t fit with the distribution business (CRN, 15 February 2004). C