Comms-care makes first-ever acquisition

Channel services outfit now a £30m-turnover firm following purchase of Platform Consultancy Services

Comms-care has made an acquisition for the first time in its 14-year history after concluding it couldn't scale its professional services business rapidly enough to meet reseller demand.

The Cheshire-based channel services specialist has snapped up Platform Consultancy Services, propelling its turnover past the £30m mark and bolstering its professional services skills around Microsoft, VMware, Citrix and NetApp.

Talking to CRN, Comms-care managing director Ben Davies (pictured, on the left, with Comms-care chairman Peter Lloyd) said Platform's channel-only ethos was a key factor in the deal.

"While we do do professional services, we are not known for that and are known more for support and monitoring," Davies added.

"Platform is a perfect fit for us and the acquisition bolsters our reputation in the professional services market and brings us all those skills immediately. We are growing so quickly, setting up a whole business unit organically would have been difficult."

Working exclusively through about 100 partners, Runcorn-based Platform has 20 staff and revenue of about £5m.

"We have known Platform for a long time and have worked with them on the same accounts," Davies said. "They are a strong, well-respected business."

Platforms's board members Sean Armstrong, Andrew Mansfield and Nigel Roberts will remain with Comms-care as part of the deal, with partner director Simon Day moving onto Comms-care's board as professional services director.

Davies said Comms-care – which turned over £22m in its last financial year – will keep the Platform business as it is and retain its brand and staff.

Comms-care's 700 existing partners will benefit from the move, he added.

"There is a massive opportunity to bring them these new professional services skills we've not been offering them," he said.