Metaphor IT grabs Citrix partner Virtual Workspaces

Buy-and-build set up by former Intercept IT directors makes second acquisition, and promises a third will come later this year

Metaphor IT has followed up its maiden acquisition last June of security VAR Intellect Security by purchasing Citrix partner Virtual Workspaces.

Metaphor IT was formed last May by two former directors of Citrix partner Intercept IT, Richard Callis and Stuart Grist, with the aim of acquiring a string of managed service providers.

Managing director Callis told CRN that the recent acquisitions of Intercept and Point to Point by larger companies has opened up space in the end-user computing market, making it a natural target for Metaphor IT.

"The respected specialist end-user computing players have diminished, so we know there is space there for the group, and we also know that industry very well," he said.

"But more importantly, every time we talk about mobilising a workforce, one of the big challenges is around securing it. Cyber and cloud are the two biggest buzzwords at the moment so they fit hand in hand. Virtual Workspaces is that specialist player and is taking a lot of the client base from some of those companies mentioned."

Citrix, Microsoft and UniPrint partner Virtual Workspaces was founded in early 2015 by Mario Cirillo, who worked with Callis and Grist at Intercept IT. He will become CTO of Metaphor IT, and has taken a stake in the firm as part of the deal.

Although its seven staff have already moved to Metaphor IT's London office, Virtual Workspace will keep its brand and niche focus, Callis said.

"We won't be taking their end-user consultants and getting them to learn about security as well, because we want to remain specialists," he explained. "But from a managed services perspective, over time the first- and second-line teams will merge into one."

Callis said Metaphor expects to complete another acquisition this year which will thrust revenues towards the £6m mark, and said the firm is currently in talks with two end-user computing specialists and one security outfit.

"Initially, [our ambition] is to grow organically and through acquisition in the security and end-user computing space. But then we will look at other core IT services to complement that - we may well look at networking and storage firms later down the line."