Square Group joins the IT and AV dots

In wake of its Digital Vision acquisition, Apple partner claims channel has done a bad job of meeting end users' joint AV and IT requirements

Square Group claims its acquisition of Digital Vision will position it as one of the few VARs that can provide IT and audiovisual (AV) from under one roof.

The Apple partner acquired Digital Vision, a digital signage specialist founded and run by one of its former account managers, at the end of August. It will retain its brand, running as a Square Group company.

Talking to ChannelWeb, Square Group managing director Darren King said the move would allow Square to exploit demand among his customer base of enterprise, education and creative accounts for converged IT and AV solutions.

"We have done quite a lot of work providing Mac-based IPTV solutions to luxury hotels, but not digital signage," he said. "Digital Vision opens up opportunities for us in that area."

Digital Vision managing director Paul Mayhew, who founded the firm in 2005 after leaving Square, said the channel has done a bad job of meeting both the AV and IT requirements of end users.

"Particularly among businesses, there is now a much larger requirement for AV solutions. But if a business wanted videoconferencing, they would have to find an AV partner to talk to about videoconferencing and another partner on the IT side," he said.

"Bringing AV into Square enables us to offer it from one group."

The acquisition comes as Square consolidates its three London locations into a larger office in London Bridge. Its sales and marketing, development and accounting functions - as well as its creative team - moved in over the weekend, while its warehousing and support team will relocate next weekend.