Esteem unveils bullish growth plans for 2007

VAR looking to invest in its existing vendor base

Bullish VAR Esteem is on the acquisition trail in 2007 and is looking to invest in its existing vendor base to push organic growth.

The Yorkshire-based firm, which underwent a management buy-out (MBO) two years ago (CRN, 29 November, 2004), is a Microsoft Gold partner. It also works closely with Citrix, Sun, VMWare and Network Appliance (NetApp). Esteem was recently promoted to Platinum Partner status by NetApp after smashing through the £1m sales barrier (CRN Online, 5 December). The firm also has relationships with Dell and BT.

Speaking to CRN, Alastair Kitching, commercial director at Esteem, said: “We have seen good growth in our managed services business over the past year, particularly in selective outsourcing as part of larger public-sector deals or on a consultancy basis.”

Kitching added that sweet spots for the firm include NHS, education and local-government contracts.

“Our plan this year is to invest in our existing vendors’ portfolios and exploit the technology that is already there, rather than specifically court new vendor partners,” he said.

He added that the firm also intends to grow through acquisition.

“A major part of the reason for the MBO two years ago was to grow organically and by acquisition, but we have to make sure any potential targets are the right fit,” he said. “There is a lot of consolidation activity in the market right now, but we won’t buy anything until we find the right company.”

Karl Noakes, director of channel development at Microsoft, said Esteem was a valued partner for the vendor.

“As a total IT lifecycle services provider, Esteem should feel positive for the future,” he said. “It is a valued Microsoft partner. We look forward to working with it in 2007 and supporting its growth by giving it access to a broader range of technologies.”

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