SecureData's latest acquisition 'not about revenue'

Security integrator says further acquisitions this year are likely after closing purchase of global consultancy Sensepost

Security integrator SecureData has made its second acquisition since is management buyout (MBO) last year, snapping up services-focused Sensepost for an undisclosed sum.

With 23 staff in London and Pretoria in South Africa, Sensepost is a global consultancy specialising in training, security assessments and security research.

Talking to CRN, SecureData director Etienne Greeff (pictured) said the acquisition fits in with SecureData's quest to broaden its services offering.

"Sensepost is a world leader in the rapid response space," he said. "This is not a matter of buying revenue and customers but extending our ability to assess, detect, protect and respond to threats."

Greeff said that too many security services providers had fallen into the trap of focusing on selling and managing individual products.

SecureData has evolved over the past year to focus instead on assessing risks and detecting issues in real time, before then deploying the tools to protect its customers, Greeff said. Sensepost will bolster this strategy by enabling the VAR to create a research lab for customers, he added.

SecureData performed an MBO from its South African parent last May.

Backed by private equity house August Equity, the firm pledged to make a string of acquisitions to help more than double its turnover to £50m over the coming years.

It is almost a year since SecureData made its first acquisition, in the shape of Riverbed and Palo Alto partner Quadrant Networks.

"We will probably make another one by the end of the year to further strengthen our proposition around assess, detect, protect and respond," revealed Greeff.