Technology Reseller v42

01732 759725 16 NEWS : RESEllers Firstcom Europe expands footprint in Germany Ancoris investment Ancoris, a pure-play Google Cloud partner of more than 10 years’ standing, has secured investment from Beech Tree Private Equity to fund and accelerate its continued growth. The investment will enable the cloud services provider to build a next-generation cloud managed services offering and extend and scale its capabilities in data, AI, infrastructure and application modernisation. Ancoris COO Andre Azevedo said: “We want to build the most innovative Google Cloud partner and to do so we need to build on our incredible team with even more great talent. And that’s what we will accelerate with this partnership with BTPE.” David McLeman, CEO of Ancoris, added: “We are extremely pleased to have found the right partner in BTPE. They have significant knowledge of our sector and scaling businesses like Ancoris. We have experienced strong growth in the last few years and this investment will allow us to respond to customer demands even quicker.” www.ancoris.com Dataquest Group partners with Acronis Dataquest Group is partnering with Acronis to provide customers with an integrated suite of data protection solutions designed to store, protect and defend data from ransomware attacks. With offices in London, Bristol and Heathrow and a distribution centre in Waltham Abbey, Dataquest specialises in managed IT services, hybrid cloud solutions, telephony & mobiles, managed print, mailroom solutions and network services. Cloud Business Development Manager Chris Baker says Dataquest chose Acronis Cyber Protect because it wanted to offer clients the best protection from a single, easy to manage source. He said: “A significant problem faced by organisations when addressing cybersecurity concerns is one of complexity. Trying to integrate solutions from a variety of vendors creates unnecessary complexity and there can be issues when the overlap of solutions is not complete. “Acronis is that rare solution that integrates data protection, cybersecurity and endpoint management into a single solution, with simplified backup and disaster recovery of critical data to improve recovery times, while reducing management complexity and total cost of ownership.” Baker added: “Disconnected point- product deployments place IT staff under pressure to assure that any gaps that exist between anti-malware software, backup software, analytic software etc., cannot be exploited by a new generation of sophisticated hackers. A single source is the answer.” Cloud technology provider Firstcom Europe has strengthened its presence in DACH with its third German acquisition, telecom provider Vocatel Business Gmbh. With operations in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and the UK, where it is headquartered, Firstcom has increased revenues from € 2.9m in 2013 to € 36m in 2020 through an aggressive acquisition strategy and a focus on switching customers from traditional technologies to cloud-based unified communication products. Over the last 14 years, Vocatel, headquartered near Dusseldorf, has built up a strong base of business customers with telephone landline connections and data lines, making it a perfect match for Firstcom. Firstcom Europe CEO Christian Bleakley said: “We look forward to working hard to transition the Vocatel customer base to the latest cloud technology with unified communications products. This move will allow customers to seamlessly use voice, video, fax, SMS and team collaboration on the one product.” He added: “Germany has historically not been an early adopter of cloud technologies. However, we have noticed that the landscape is rapidly changing, and we are delighted to have a foothold not too far from Dusseldorf and Essen.” In August 2020, Firstcom Europe raised € 29m from Kartesia for a senior loan facility to refinance its existing debt arrangements and support its ongoing buy and build strategy. www.firstcomeurope.co.uk Digital Space Cloud-first solutions provider Digital Space, previously known as Timico, is strengthening its UC&C portfolio with 8x8’s Experience Communications as a Service (XCaaS) offering, which includes fully integrated, cloud-native contact centre, voice, team chat and meeting capabilities. www.digitalspace.co.uk Christian Bleakley Node4 eyes up ERP growth Cloud-led MSP Node4 has expanded its capabilities in the ERP market through the acquisition of TNP (The NAV|365People), a leading Microsoft Dynamics 365 partner with 260 employees, high levels of recurring revenue and a customer base of 500. The acquisition is Node4’s largest to date and the first since Providence Equity Partners became its new principal investor. TNP, the UK’s largest pure-play Microsoft partner in its market segment, sells and supports solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central, Power Apps and Power BI. It has Gold Microsoft Partner Status across ERP, Application Development and Cloud Platform and a number of additional Microsoft certifications, including Small and Mid- Market Cloud Solutions, Data Analytics and Application Integration. The addition of TNP’s skillset will significantly enhance Node4’s end-to-end managed services portfolio and enable it to address an ERP market that is set to exceed £2 billion in value by 2024. Tender portal a ‘revelation’ for Communicate Technology IT, telecoms and cyber security firm Communicate Technology PLC has secured a lucrative contract to manage IT, telecoms and internet provision at Kent Innovation Centre with the help of a tender-as-a-service platform developed by tech start-up OPPORTUNI. OPPORTUNI uses an AI-powered tender portal to identify appropriate tender opportunities for clients, sending details of suitable tenders directly to their inbox and supporting submissions with guidance and services, including access to expert bid writers through its global marketplace. Communicate CEO Tony Snaith describes the service as ‘a revelation’, adding: “When introduced to the concept, we knew that OPPORTUNI had the solution we’d been looking for since tendering began.” OPPORTUNI CEO Tim Ward added: “Often tenders and bidding can be complex with little assistance out there for businesses looking to break into the public sector. We wanted to help Communicate overcome these constraints and give them the capacity to engage fully with the process.” With offices in Wynyard, Leeds and Kent, Communicate specialises in networking and connecting business parks and multi-tenanted office spaces. www.opportuni.co.uk Chris Baker Andre Azevedo