IRW surrenders to acquisition grandmaster Chess

Telecoms VAR has now tied up over 80 deals in the last decade

Chess Telecom has acquired Scottish Microsoft consultancy IRW Systems, meaning it has tied up more than 80 deals over the last ten years.

The acquisition of IRW, which has offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh and specialises in bespoke software design, will add £3m to Chess' turnover and 50 staff to its ranks.

"IRW Systems have proven expertise within the Microsoft solutions portfolio, cloud applications and technical services arena," said Chess chief executive David Pollock.

"Together we are uniquely positioned to deliver a range of consulting and software services to our existing and new customers and partners."

Chess' decade-long acquisition spree has taken in over 80 deals, including Parachute IT, ebillz, Integra ICT, Avenir Telecoms and The CRM Business.

"Our expanding presence from telecoms to the cloud, data and hosted space is bringing us more high-profile acquisitions enquiries," said Chess Director Richard Btesh.

IRW's bespoke solutions are built on Microsoft platforms including SharePoint, .Net, and CRM.

IRW managing director Ian Warnock said: "We immediately appreciated that Chess was our preferred choice for future growth and to maximise our potential. Our highly complementary technologies and comprehensive portfolios will together enable our continued success in the cloud solutions arena. Being part of Chess will provide our current IRW Systems employees, with an exciting opportunity to be part of a fast growing UK leader in communications and technology services."