PCM Acquires Top Cisco, VMware Partner To Strengthen Collaboration Practice In 'Win-Win' Deal

PCM has jump-started its 2018 growth chase by purchasing an Irvine, Calif.-based solution provider with broad technical skills and a footprint among U.S. enterprises.

Epoch Universal, a Cisco Gold Partner with cutting-edge certifications from the networking giant and VMware, has expertise that ranges from networking, security, wireless and storage products to unified collaboration, data center, virtualization, cloud and hosted solutions. The company also has a strong managed and professional services presence.

El Segundo, Calif.-based PCM, No. 25 on the 2017 CRN Solution Provider 500, plans to make Epoch a part of its collaboration solutions division, with President and CEO Paul Harrold joining PCM as vice president of collaboration. He will report to Herb Hogue, senior vice president of hybrid data center, security and Microsoft, in the new role.

[Related: PCM Accelerates European Push With $4M U.K. Solution Provider Buy ]

"The acquisition of Epoch Universal highlights our strategy of strengthening our services and solutions portfolio through high-end advanced technology solutions such as those offered by Cisco, VMware and NetApp," PCM President Jay Miley said in a statement. "Not only does the acquisition increase our capabilities of delivering such solutions to our existing customer base in the United States, but it also deepens our relationships with key manufacturer partners."

Following Harrold to PCM are Epoch CTO Ryan Heath, Vice President of Sales Dena Colombo and Vice President of Operations Lee Edmonson, as well as a contingent of the solution provider's professional and managed services engineering teams.

"The combination of Epoch’s advanced technology solutions and PCM’s vast sales and solutions footprint should enable a win-win for each of our respective customer bases," said Harrold in the statement. "I look forward to leading PCM’s collaboration practice to new heights in the coming months and years."

Terms of the deal, which was unveiled Wednesday, were not disclosed. PCM could not be immediately reached for comment.

2017 marked a busy year of expansion for PCM, which bought a $4.1 million Microsoft Gold Partner last January. That acquisition was followed with the September purchase of a 21-person U.K. solution provider to boost its hybrid cloud, networking, security, data management and digital workplace segments.

PCM's existing unified communications business includes call center management, collaboration, messaging and VoIP solutions. The company reported revenue of $2.2 billion for the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2017, making it one of the channel's larger players.

Epoch has won at least three consecutive Cisco Customer Satisfaction Excellence awards, according to Harrold's LinkedIn profile, and some of the first solutions areas listed on his page are unified collaboration, voice, video, WebEx and Jabber. Epoch works with other top vendors such as Dell EMC, NetApp, Microsoft, Symantec, HPE Aruba and Quantum.