Lekerman hints at acquisition strategy

TIGL chief is bullish for the future as firm invests in two new datacentres for cloud services push and looks at potential targets

Des Lekerman is aiming for 45 per cent growth in the coming year as he settles further into his new role as chief executive of The Internet Group (TIGL).

In January he led a seven figure buyout of the firm, with former Eurodata sales director George Georgiou, ex-Ultima consulting chief Mark Moss and Internet Group founder Adam Maurice all holding a stake in the business.

Lekerman (pictured) was co-founder of Microsoft specialist Eurodata in the early nineties, which was sold to Trinity Expert Systems for an undisclosed sum in June 2011.

Speaking to CRN, Lekerman said the management team had been busy since February, rebranding the company, redesigning the website and securing a healthy pipeline of future business. It has also taken on 25 new people in various sales and professional services roles.

"It has all been a bit of a shock to the system coming back," he said. "But there are lots of opportunities out there. I've been out of the game for nearly two years, but not much has really changed. Customers still want the same solutions."

He said TIGL had just built its new cloud platform and has invested in two datacentres - one in Studley and one in London. "We have spread over two datacentres because in the light of 2e2, customers are more wary of trusting one provider and are just that little bit nervous," he said.

"We are building a managed service and cloud platform - and are seeing a lot of customers looking to go hybrid. They are not looking to chuck everything into the cloud.

"The company was a good business to begin with and is 90 per cent managed services and services with a very fat pipeline of business. TIGL was initially an ISP, so connectivity and internet solutions are a core of the business. The team has gelled well and we are all set for growth."

Again Lekerman hinted that the firm was on the acquisition trail.

"Eventually we will make an acquisition - probably in the next 12 to 18 months," he said. "We are looking for similar companies to us, perhaps a comms company. But it also has to be the right price. Sometimes people's expectations do not match reality."