Freecom.net rebranded as Systems Union

Following its recent spate of acquisitions, reseller-turned-vendor Freecom.net has finally broken its wall of silence and announced its plans.

Following its recent spate of acquisitions, reseller-turned-vendor Freecom.net has finally broken its wall of silence and announced its plans.

The vendor will take the name of Systems Union, the software vendor it purchased last month. The rebranded company will then centralise its operations in Systems Union's head offices in Hampshire.

In recent months, Freecom has bought former Systems Union rival Pegasus for £52m and web services provider OneView.net for £32m.

Pegasus will retain its name and focus on the small and medium-sized enterprise market under the Systems Union group name, while OneView, under the new name Freecom.net GB, will operate in the old Freecom ecommerce and application service provider arena.

Stuart McAlpine, group marketing director at Systems Union, described the upheavals at the company as "traumatic". But he denied speculation that the firm had taken on too much and would be looking to sell off units.

Keith Birch, managing director at financial management software supplier Touchstone, said he had at first been surprised when Freecom bought both Systems Union and Pegasus, but with both firms targeting different market areas, he could see the venture being successful.

"Pegasus has always been more worried about shifting units than Systems Union, which is very much a solutions-based business," he said.

Birch was sceptical, however, that the newly formed Systems Union group could remain whole. "Every business has its price," he said.

First published in Computer Reseller News