NTT Com Security: 'Assume' we are in talks with Nebulas

NTT Com Security's chief executive opens up on Nebulas rumours but says a deal is not likely in next six weeks

NTT Com Security's chief executive Simon Church has said "one could assume" that his firm is in talks to acquire security VAR Nebulas Solutions Group.

The comments come after CRN reported in February that NTT Com Security was tipped to be acquiring a London-based security VAR with a turnover of about £17m, according to industry chatter.

Speaking to CRN, Church (pictured above) said: "I am very acquisitive and I am speaking to lots of companies. I am looking at all the key leaders in the market [and] Nebulas is one of the leaders that one could assume we are talking to.

"We are speaking to most of the major players in most of the major geographical areas. One could assume that Nebulas would be one of those, but we are also speaking to some other guys as well," he said.

When pressed if a deal could be completed within the next six weeks, Church said it would be unlikely but repeated the line "at some stage in the future there will be more acquisitions".

The security integrator – owned by Japanese telco NTT – has undergone much restructuring to its senior management of late, with three executives leaving last summer, but Church said the firm has now found the right people to drive the business forward.

"We are set fair now. With no disrespect to the people who have left the organisation, we have gone through making sure we are appropriately tooled for the business we need to grow to next. Take as a prime example Peter Cunningham, [who] joined our European business seven months ago," he said.

"I needed somebody who is very comfortable running a £300m business and has the ability to go way beyond that. With no disrespect to the previous guys, I want to know these people have these skills. We are now very happy with our current crop."

Church was also very bullish about NTT Com Security's aspiration for market supremacy.

"In terms of structure it's all about growth, absolute domination of Europe and continuing that growth into the US.

"I want to be the number one go-to security services player in the European market. We will get there through a combination of organic growth and semi-organic growth with acquisitions."

When asked who NTT Com Security's major competitors for control in this market are, Church said his company's proposition was largely unique.

"What's really interesting, and everybody says this, [is that] I don't see anyone as a competitor. There is nobody doing that super-deep security specialist solution provider across the world," he said.

"There are some nice guys in certain geographies and clearly they are a target for us in term of acquisitions, but in terms of that global reach and ability to deploy the same fashion in the same way, there is no one out there doing it. So for me, it's really about capitalising on that market advantage."