Micro-P makes lunge for Cohort Technology

ShoreTel and Stonesoft distributor sells up

Cohort Technology has reached a deal to be acquired by Micro-P in the latest example of a specialist security VAD selling up to a larger distributor.

Micro-P said its acquisition of Basingstoke-based Cohort, which counts ShoreTel, Stonesoft and Forescout among its key vendor partners, would expand its security, comms and services offering.

Cohort was founded in 2007 by channel entrepreneur Grahame Smee. In 2008, it acquired rival VAD Appspeed.

Its acquisition is just the latest example of consolidation in the security VAD space, Computerlinks' imminent acquisition by Arrow being the most obvious parallel. Sphinx, Vigil and VADition are among the other UK brands that have disappeared from the skyline in recent years after being acquired by larger rivals.

Micro-P, which is part of Anglo-Irish holding company DDC Group, is no stranger to acquiring in the security space itself, having bought SonicWall distributor Tekdata in 2007.

Paul Bryan, UK managing director of Micro-P said: "The acquisition of Cohort is a logical step in the direction of our B2B proposition and how we bring scale and opportunity to our customers. It will further strengthen our Security, IP telephony and service story, making us more relevant to the IT community. We welcome the Cohort team on-board and look forward to the exciting times ahead".

Smee (pictured), who is managing director of Cohort, added: "We are delighted to be joining the Micro-P business, their substantial reach and financial backing coupled with our technical knowledge and commercial agility makes for huge opportunity that our reseller partners and vendors will benefit from going forward. "