Integralis sets its sights on UK acquisition spree
VAR claims that acquisitions are on the cards as it intends to go up against the likes of BT and AT&T
Bullish Integralis is poised to strike on two acquisition targets in the UK and is aiming to be a €500m company.
The VAR last week revealed that it was back in the black for the first time since going public in 1998, and it has unveiled aggressive growth plans in the managed security space.
Speaking exclusively to CRN, Graham Jones, chief operating officer at Integralis, said: “We have changed the shape of the company and gone vertical (CRN, 20 November). Now we want to grow as fast as possible because the market is consolidating.”
Integralis’s turnover for 2006 increased by 21.3 per cent to €136.7m, compared with €112.8m in 2005. Net profit rocketed by 174.6 per cent to €2.4m, from a loss of €3.2m.
Jones said that the firm is confident of hitting €3m profit next year.
“We feel the need to get to €500m in turnover,” he added. “Obviously we can do that by selling more, but there will also be a series of acquisitions. We are looking at two in the UK at the moment – both consulting and service players – one of which we have to make a decision on within the month.”
Jones added that the firm is planning to capture market share from established services players in 2007.
“We plan to go up against the likes of BT and AT &T, which operate in the managed network services space,” he said. “But we are staying focused on our strengths, which are managed security services.”
Darragh Richardson, head of marketing at rival integrator Telindus, said: “It makes sense for firms to stick to what they are good at. There is always a balancing act of trying to take on new skills while sticking to company strengths. Integralis is very well regarded in the managed security space and it makes sense to develop that further.”
However, Alastair Edwards, senior analyst at Canalys, said: “The only danger with sticking to one area is that the competition is growing all the time. Other larger players will start to look at managed security services as an option.”