Onyx back in M&A action

Middlesbrough VAR increases financial services clout with buyout of City-based Disaster Recovery Solutions.

London calling: Onyx has bought two capital-based firms in as many months

Acquisitive VAR Onyx Group has bolstered its business continuity offering with the acquisition of London-based Disaster Recovery Solutions (DRS).

The deal comes just two months after Onyx snapped up Moffat Communications, also based in the capital. Onyx claimed the deals will allow it to increase sales into the professional services and financial sectors. DRS director James Carver will remain in charge of the firm, which will be renamed Onyx Business Continuity.

SME-focused DRS has 70 office suites around the UK designed for firms with fewer than 50 employees to recover. London houses 27 of the suites, with the remainder situated in the Midlands, Scotland or the North of England.

Onyx chief executive Neil Stephenson claimed the disaster recovery market was one in which he wanted to increase his firm's presence.

“Latest research shows that 90 per cent of businesses that lose data from a disaster are forced to shut down within two years of the disruption,” he said.

“It is therefore clear that robust disaster recovery services and business continuity planning is vital in ensuring a business stays operational, which is why this is such an important purchase for us. It shows that we are fully focused on up-scaling the business, with a particular focus on regulated markets.”

DRS is Onyx's fifth acquisition in the past 18 months and it has made no secret of its desire to grow through consolidation. The firm is also keen to branch out from its North East roots and become a nationally recognised player.

Stephenson added: "This latest acquisition is another key piece in Onyx’s national strategy jigsaw, as we aim to create a UK-wide IT footprint, providing a breadth of IT services to key target markets.

“I believe we have the agility, hunger and skill set to really grow this business and the next 24 months are going to be challenging but exciting as we look to capitalise on a gap in the market that our competitors are not able to take advantage of.”