2006 Solution Provider Acquisitions: A Roundup
2006 proved to be a busy year for mergers and acquisitions among VARs, integrators, service providers and other channel players hungry for swift growth. Here's a tally of some of the key deals.
VENDOR-SPECIFIC VAR MERGERS
--Buying a peer to get scale•Luminate/Stonebridge-Sun ploy
•Sigma/SSI-Sun ploy
•Net@Work/Eagle Consulting-Sage play
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC VAR MERGERS --Buying a peer to get scale•Fishnet/True North (security)
•Fishnet/Siegeworks (security)
•MTI/Collective (storage)
•Eschelon Telecom/Mountain Technology (telecom)
•AmeriVault/Capitalbackup (storage)OTHER VAR MERGERS --For scale or expertise•GreenPages/TenCorp.--Growth and scale
•TIGNetwork Plus--Growth
•Logalis/Alliance Consulting-Consulting MSP PLAYS --To add or beefing upp MSP capabilities•Iomega/CSI--To add MSP offering for its worldwide SMB VARs
•Incentra/NST--To add security expertise to its managed services offerings
•Perimeter/ANE--To add security expertise to its MSP business
•Perimeter/Breakwater--To add security expertise to its MSP business
•Perimeter/Red Cliff--To add security expertise to its MSP business
•Wipro/cMango--To add BMC expertise to its MSP business
•Voyss/Lan-Com--Bringing together telecom and data for an MSP play VENDOR PLAYS --Vendors looking to solution providers to beef up their skills or reach•EMC/Interlink--To add Microsoft expertise
•EMC/Internosis-To add Microsoft expertise
•Microsoft/ProClarify-To add business intelligence ISV expertise
•Xerox/Amici-To get closer to market
•Canon/Uinta-To get closer to market
•Toshiba/Copy Machines-To get closer to market
•Toshiba/Gold Coast-To get closer to market INVESTOR PLAYS --Seeing opportunity to invest in the channel•Clarey/Phoenix Computer ISV PLAYS --Beefing up specific software skills•Domin-B/Logicbuilt--To add property management software expertise
•Domin-B/PMAS--To add property management software expertise
•Domin-B/American Computer Software--To add property management software expertise DISTRIBUTION ACQUISTIONS•Seneca Data/CSI--Custom system
•Arrow/Skydata--To expand business into Canada U.S. CHANNEL PLAYERS EXPANDING OVERSEAS•Ingres/Thinking instruments--To open European channel
•NSI Software/Sunbelt--To add European distribution capabilities ACQUISTIONS THAT FELL THROUGH•Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC)--Explored being acquired, then cancelled
•NWM/NetTeks--Possible Cisco play scuttled at last minute
*Through mid-August
Note: List may not be complete
Source: CRN Research