Channel Digest: MSPs on the march

After a whirlwind four months for M&A, this week we focus on the partners making strategic moves to secure their growth

If the case for a four-day workweek wasn't clear enough yet, the UK channel's ability to generate just as much movement in 80 per cent of the time should serve as some fairly strong evidence.

This week, we saw the conclusion of some moves long in the pipeline. MSP Infinity Group acquired Pax8's end-user business in its quest to become a one-stop shop for Microsoft 365 services.

Infinity CEO Rob Young positioned this as a natural next step in Inifinity's evolution, telling us: "Ultimately, we are looking to continue to grow within the Microsoft space, and this acquisition allows to do that. This is a key part of Infinity Group's strategy to solidify our place as a leading provider of Dynamics 365 solutions."

Fellow MSP Apogee is going through its own evolution under the leadership of newly appointed CEO James Clark, who told CRN this week that he plans to "double down" on the firm's managed services investments after refamiliarising himself with the business he returned to in February.

In the interview, Clark outlines his "unfinished business" at the MSP, charting a course that includes workplace technology, advisory and reshaping Apogee from the inside to prime the firm for growth.

The biggest move in the VAR/MSP space, of course, was Bytes announcing that interim CEO Sam Mudd had been selected to take on the role on a permanent basis. Word in the channel is that Mudd, a longtime Bytes veteran, will be looking to steady the ship.

Bytes was one of the few channel firms to record significant growth last year, having grown GII 19 per cent to £1.4bn. But even as new business was buoyant thanks to public sector contracts, the sudden departure of former CEO Neil Murphy left Bytes needing to reassure the market that it could stay the course.

Mudd's permanent appointment will, no doubt, be a big step in that direction.

Things aren't going quite so well for the big dog on the other side of the English Channel, as ailing reseller Atos this week received four new debt restructuring proposals.

These came from existing creditors and aspiring buyers, including previously rejected Bain Capital and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

All involve substantial restructuring proposals, leaving the fate of the reseller giant very much in question.

And it's not just the VARs and MSPs that are making internal moves as they prep for expansion (or fight for survival).

This week, distie Climb Channel Solutions announced key hires that it hopes will put wind in the sales of its European offensive.

The full primer on Climb's recent moves – from acquiring DataSolutions last October and broader M&A strategy to its reasoning for targeting EU growth – is an illuminating read. Check it out here.