Computex Steps Up Data Center/Cloud Offensive With Acquisition Of Cisco Gold MSP

Computex Technology Solutions is revving up its recurring-revenue-based data center/cloud services portfolio with the acquisition of Houston-based Cisco Gold Master MSP ENETsolutions,

The deal gives Computex, also based in Houston, an elite ENETsolutions technical team providing a wide range of 24/7 recurring-revenue-based services from a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the art network operations center and data center in Houston. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

[Related: Computex CEO Takes Helm At Renamed SP500 Powerhouse ]

ENETsolutions' offerings include hosted Cisco VoIP and collaboration services, hosted Microsoft Exchange as well as a wide range of network and security services offerings. Computex, a CRN Solution Provider 500 and CRN Tech Elite 250 powerhouse, plans to roll out those services nationally.

"This gives us the ability to provide the complete life cycle of solutions from assessing and designing to building and now managing and monitoring customer IT environments," said Computex President and CEO Sam Haffar. "It gives us the ability to build out our recurring revenue stream with hosted solutions and network monitoring and management."

ENETsolutions, a member of CRN'sMSP Pioneer 250 and Tech Elite 250 lists, holds both Cisco's coveted Master Service Provider and Unified Communications Master certifications.

Craig Hardee, founder, president and CEO of ENETsolutions, will run the national ComputexMSP practice. All of the ENETsolutions team will stay on with Computex.

Haffar said he and Hardee have been friends for some time and he first pursued a deal with the company several years ago. He said there is little overlap between the companies' focus and product portfolios. "There is a lot of synergy here," he said. "We have worked with ENETsolutions for many years. It's a very complementary acquisition. "

The ENETsolutions deal marks a major step up in Computex's ability to provide a new era of its own cloud services, said Haffar. "We are going to be adding a lot more services offerings," he said. "We are going to look at monitoring everything from servers and storage and networks to offering hybrid cloud federated services."

NEXT: Key To Computex Success: Providing Its Own Services ​

One of the keys to Computex's success, said Haffar, is the ability to control an end-to-end IT experience for the customer. "We don't like to outsource," he said. "We like to own our own IT assets and control the quality and level of services that we provide. That's why we call ourselves a solution provider. Our engineers make a big difference in the quality of service. This is not an outsourced service. It is our own people and our own infrastructure. It's about delighting our customers. That is our mission. It is about delivering an unparalleled customer experience. That's what keeps customers coming back."

That ability to provide an end-to-end IT experience is even more critical in the cloud era, where the level of complexity is significantly higher and fewer solution providers have the right capabilities, said Haffar. "There are very few solution providers with the ability to provide the complete package," he said.

Computex already is a data center infrastructure power in the market, with data center modernization its fastest-growing business, said Haffar. "We have been very successful in the data center," he said. "This just takes it to another level."

Computex is quickly moving the entire company to the ENETsolutions platform as a show of the power of the managed services model. The company now has the highest level of certifications with it four top strategic partners: Cisco Gold, HP Platinum, EMC Signature and VMware Premier, according to Haffar.

Computex is eyeing additional acquisitions as it rolls out its national data center and cloud managed services offerings, he said. "We are always looking at the marketplace for additional acquisitions," he said.

Haffar, who co-founded Computex 26 years ago and built it into a Solution Provider 500 power alongside his brother Jason, who is now executive vice president and COO, said he is optimistic about scaling the business in the cloud era. "This gives us the ammunition to continue our phenomenal growth," he said.

PUBLISHED MARCH 11, 2014