Computacenter grabs Metrologie

Computacenter has beefed up its enterprise distribution business after snapping up ex-CHS subsidiary Metrologie for an undisclosed sum.

Computacenter has beefed up its enterprise distribution business after snapping up ex-CHS subsidiary Metrologie for an undisclosed sum.

The move comes just days after the Unix and server integration specialist was put into receivership along with CHS. Computacenter will place Metrologie under its distribution arm, Computacenter Distribution (CCD).

Phil Williams, corporate development manager at Computacenter, said the acquisition would enable CCD to focus on resellers serving SME and niche markets: "As a mainstream distributor, Metrologie fits nicely alongside CCD, but the networking side is a new area that will allow us to move into selling application systems."

Metrologie will continue trading under its current name, but will fall under the responsibility of Mike Jones, general manager of CCD. Williams said it was too early to discuss staff changes, but said as many employees as possible would be retained.

He added that in the short term CCD would concentrate on reassuring resellers that their needs would be addressed: "Metrologie has a good brand name and it's underpinned by the largest reseller in Europe."

Graeme Watt, managing director of Computer 2000, said he was surprised by the acquisition.

"CCD has a very tight strategy based around the PC market and it hasn't been in the enterprise distribution market. Metrologie isn't the jewel in the crown that everyone said it was, and it doesn't have any exclusive franchises," he said.