Columbus navigates to UK for latest acquisition

Microsoft Dynamics partner says purchase of £6m-revenue Cambridge Online Systems will bolster its UK cloud business

Microsoft Dynamics partner Columbus has made the UK the latest destination for its shopping spree, acquiring rival Cambridge Online Systems for an undisclosed sum.

Denmark-based Columbus acquired four firms in 2015 and has already snapped up Danish outfit SYSTEMHOSTING and US counterpart CSG this year.

Group revenues for the NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen-listed firm rose 28 per cent last year to DKK1.123bn (£130m) last year.

Its latest purchase, Cambridge Online Systems, is designed to bolster its clout with cloud technology and Dynamics 365 in the UK.

In its last financial year, Cambridge Online Systems posted earnings of £526,000 on revenues of £5.5m.

That compares with a net profit of £3.3m on revenues of £18.6m posted by Columbus' UK business for 2015.

The Cambridge-based firm employs 71 ERP and CRM specialists.

Mary Hunter, managing director of Columbus UK, said: "This is an extremely exciting acquisition for Columbus, enabling us to expand our portfolio and footprint in the UK market. As the longest-standing and leading Dynamics partner in the UK, we always strive to deliver maximum value to our customers, through the very latest technologies that suit their needs. With the new offerings and capabilities that this acquisition brings, we will continue to give our customers a competitive edge in their markets."