Kelway eyes £300m revenue with latest acquisition
Acquisition-hungry VAR buys ISC Computers for an undisclosed sum
Acquisitive VAR Kelway plans to smash the £300m revenue barrier after snapping up service provider ISC Computers for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition will strengthen Kelway’s existing service portfolio and complement its infrastructure delivery, the VAR claimed.
ISC Computers has five offices across the UK and employs 280 people. It has annual revenues of £54m and specialises in managed services and emerging technologies such as private cloud and desktop virtualisation. According to its web site, some of its key vendors include Microsoft, Citrix, VMWare, HP and IBM.
Kelway’s latest buy rounds off a strong year for the London-headquartered firm which is expecting organic growth of £55m with a predicted year-end revenue in March 2011 of close to £250m, a 40 per cent increase on the previous year.
Its ISC buy marks the third acquisition in under 18 months, which saw it grab SAM Practice last December and Repton in May 2009. The acquisition-hungry firm also bought Panacea in February last year and Elcom in 2007.
Phil Doye, chief executive of Kelway, said: “Until now a small number of dominant players have controlled a majority stake in the ICT solutions and services market, limiting the choice for enterprises. We believe Kelway now has the necessary capabilities and scale to offer a viable alternative.”
Dan Laws, managing director of Kelway, added: “We have a commitment to maintain agility and the highest standards of service for our partners and clients and are making significant investments to substantially enhance our services portfolio.
“ISC’s strong customer base, vendor relationships and specialisations are an ideal fit for Kelway. With the highest standard of accreditation from global infrastructure vendors, broad services portfolio and our standing as a trusted partner, Kelway is the emerging market leader in the ICT solutions and services market.”
Simon Lawless, sales director of ISC Computers welcomed the move. “[The acquisition] presents an excellent opportunity for our clients, partners and staff,” he said. “Through rapid growth [Kelway has] maintained its position at the forefront of client service and emerging technologies.
“ISC Computers brings strong vendor relationships and expertise in specialist managed services, and this, coupled with Kelway’s existing capabilities will ensure growth for Kelway," Lawless added. "Our clients will continue to receive the high standards of service they are accustomed to but will now have the added benefit of Kelway’s expertise in ICT strategy and end-to-end project management.”