The biggest acquisitions in the Australian IT channel for 2020

As 2020 draws to a close, we look back at the biggest mergers and acquisitions of the past year.

It had been a busy year for vendors, channel partners and distributors in terms of M&A activity, with companies of varying sizes exchanging hands.

Click through the arrows to see the biggest acqusitions of 2020 so far!

8 January

Sydney's IT&C acquires Brisbane-based D&G Solutions

Sydney-headquartered managed services provider Intellectual Technology & Communication (IT&C) acquired Brisbane-based D&G Solutions Group.

The deal expands IT&C’s presence in Queensland, where it currently has offices in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

D&G specialises in cloud, managed IT and technology consulting services, with multiple vendor partnerships including HPE, Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, Sophos, Veeam, Datto, among others.

Click here to read the full story.

10 January

Veeam acquired in US$5 billion deal

Veeam was acquired by private equity firm Insight Partners in a US$5-billion bet that Veeam can grow its US market business to become the dominate data management and data protection technology provider it is in Europe.

New York-based Insight Partners unveiled its planned acquisition of Veeam with an eye on bringing new resources to bear on building Veeam's US business to take advantage of the need for cloud-based data management and data protection.

As part of the acquisition, Switzerland-based Veeam's two co-founders, CEO Andrei Baronov and Ratmir Timashev, executive vice president of worldwide sales and market, will step down from their executive roles and from the company's board of directors after helping transition the company to its new owner.

Click here to read the full story.

24 January

Arista buys Big Switch Networks

Networking giant Arista Networks scooped up software-defined networking specialist Big Switch Networks, according to a new report.

The reported deal would mark Arista's biggest acquisition to date, according to sources familiar with the deal in a report published by SDXCentral.

A spokesperson for Arista said the company had "no comment" on the reported deal. CRN reached out to Big Switch for comment on the reported acquisition but did not hear back before publication time.

Click here to read the full story.

28 January

Spirit Telecom snaps up Cloud BT, signals Sydney push

Spirit Telecom revealed its latest foray into the Sydney market, this time with the $700,000 acquisition of managed IT provider Cloud BT.

Founded in 2008, Cloud BT specialises in cloud and security, as well as IT consulting and outsourcing. The company raked in $1.3 million in revenue in the 2019 financial year.

Spirit said in an ASX statement that the acquisition would bolster its cloud based, security managed services that run over its fixed wireless networks. There will also be “significant cross-sell opportunities” into Spirit’s existing IT customer base.

Click here to read the full story.

3 February

CSG shareholders approve acquisition by Fuji Xerox

Shareholders in managed services provider CSG Limited overwhelmingly voted in favour of Fuji Xerox’s proposal to acquire the company.

As revealed in an ASX notice earlier today (pdf), 232 CSG shareholders voted in favour of the acquisition, compared to 29 who voted against the proposal. The 232 shareholders represented 99.75 percent of the votes cast.

“CSG Limited is pleased to advise that the scheme resolution has been passed by shareholders at the meeting held today,” the announcement read.

Click here to read the full story.

5 February

Perth's Cerberus Technologies acquired by global SI Convergint Technologies

Perth-based systems integrator Cerberus Technologies was acquired by global SI Convergint Technologies for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition expands Convergint’s presence into Perth, adding to its existing offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

Founded in 2004, Cerberus works with customers in Perth’s mining, local government, logistics and transportation markets. Some of its vendor partners include Cisco, Samsung, Genetec, Bosch and more.

Click here to read the full story.

6 February

Aussie ISV Donesafe acquired by US-based Health & Safety Institute

Australian safety and compliance software vendor Donesafe was acquired by US-based environmental health and safety company Health & Safety Institute (HSI) for an undisclosed sum.

Sydney-based Donesafe developed a cloud-based platform that helps companies comply with regulatory and internal compliance initiatives. The solutions cover health and safety, environmental compliance, quality management and supplier management.

In an announcement on its website, Donesafe said the acquisition is “a big win” for its customers, partners and the Donesafe team as the combination of the companies would create an end-to-end health, safety and compliance technology, training and chemical management portfolio.

Click here to read the full story.

10 February

ASI Solutions snaps up HCI superstar BEarena

ASI Solutions acquired Sydney-based BEarena for an undisclosed sum.

BEarena has been in business since 2007, specialising in virtual infrastructure, public and hybrid cloud solutions, managed services and backup and disaster recovery platforms. The company has a reputation for spotting emerging technologies and taking new vendors to market, as shown by its early success with Veeam and Nutanix which it brought to the Australian market in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

BEarena’s two founders Darren Ashley and Kirstie Elderfield will move to ASI and expand their roles to work across the combined companies.

Click here to read the full story.

11 February

Arq Group offloads Enterprise business for $35 million

Arq Group secured a buyer for its troubled Enterprise business, offloading the division to a consortium that includes Sydney-based investment firm Quadrant Private Equity for $35 million.

The consortium also includes certain members of Arq Group’s enterprise team, namely interim CEO Tristan Sternson and directors Justin Parcell and Cameron Boog.

The $35 million price tag is all in cash and is on a debt free basis. The proceeds from the sale will go towards paying down company debt and focus on managing cost and maximising value for the remaining SMB business.

Click here to read the full story.

12 February

Nexon Asia Pacific unveils three new acquisitions

Sydney MSP Nexon Asia Pacific kicked off the new year with three new acquisitions thanks to an investment from private equity firm EQT Mid Market Asia last year.

The company acquired Sydney Microsoft partner Remagine Solutions, Sydney-based XCentral, and the technology services and security solutions divisions of Melbourne-based Kiandra IT.

The acquisitions are expected to boost Nexon’s cloud and managed IT practice, expand its Melbourne footprint, step up its security practice to the mid-market, and supplement its existing Microsoft Dynamics practice with new intellectual property.

Click here to read the full story.

14 February

Spirit Telecom makes $6.9m double MSP acquisition

Spirit Telecom acquired the owner of two Melbourne-based managed services providers for $6.9 million.

The telco acquired Trident Business Group and its MSPs Trident Computer Services and Neptune Managed Services.

As part of the deal, both Trident and Neptune will comprise of a new business division called Trident IT Solutions, which will focus on providing custom-designed cloud-based IT and internet solutions for schools, hospitals, aged care providers and medium-sized businesses.

Click here to read the full story.

17 February

Solution Tech buys Modern Computer Systems

Perth-based MSP Solution Tech acquired 30-year-old IT company Modern Computer Systems, bringing with it a 1500-strong customer base.

Founded in 1989, Modern Computer Systems is based on Balcatta, WA, and focuses on IT support, server solutions, email hosting and other traditional software and hardware.

The company served over 1500 customers , mostly SMEs, though not all of those are active. It employs three staff, all of whom will be retained.

Click here to read the full story.

18 February

Accenture snaps up SAP specialist Icon Integration

Professional services giant Accenture snapped up another Australia channel player, this time it’s SAP consultancy Icon Integration.

Founded in 2011, Icon Integration specialises in SAP digital supply chain solutions, as well as business intelligence solutions, data optimisation, and delivering bespoke enterprise technology to improve customers’ operational efficiencies. The company hires 70 staff across its offices in Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand.

Accenture said in a press release that Icon Integration typically works with large retail, consumer goods and government customers, particularly in warehouse management.

Click here to read the full story.

19 February

Dell Technologies sells off RSA for US$2 billion

Dell Technologies agreed to sell RSA Security to private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) less than four years after acquiring the encryption pioneer.

The technology giant said the US$2.08 billion sale of RSA will allow Dell to simplify its security strategy to focus on securing and protecting data at the edge, in the core, and in cloud environments. The transaction includes RSA’s four product lines as well as the industry-leading RSA Conference, and is expected to close in the next six to nine months.

“The strategies of RSA and Dell Technologies have evolved to address different business needs with different go-to-market models,” Dell Technologies COO Jeff Clarke wrote in a blog post. “The sale of RSA gives us greater flexibility to focus on integrated innovation across Dell Technologies, while allowing RSA to focus on its strategy of providing risk, security and fraud teams with the ability to holistically manage digital risk.”

Click here to read the full story.

3 March

Aussie consultants Third Horizon acquired

Australian consulting firm Third Horizon was acquired by global digital transformation specialist Publicis Sapient.

Founded in 2004, Third Horizon’s services include technology enablement, culture & change management and program delivery. Its customers include the New South Wales and Victorian state governments, Lendlease, Powerco New Zealand, Ausgrid and the Australian Federal Government.

Publicis said the acquisition will make its digital transformation capabilities available to all its customers globally, particularly when it comes to strategy and consulting expertise.

Click here to read the full story.

17 March

ASG acquires Group 10 Consulting

Australian managed service provider ASG Group acquired leading Canberra professional services firm Group 10 Consulting, its second buy in less than six months.

In an interview with CRN, ASG chief executive Dean Langenbach said Group 10 was an ICT consultancy firm in Canberra, with a significant portfolio of public sector clients.

“[Group 10] has capabilities in areas we are interested in entering,” he said. “[We are] into ICT asset management particular, software asset management.  Canberra has always been a good region for us.”

Click here to read the full story.

25 March

Deloitte acquires Microsoft, IBM partner Bistech

Deloitte acquired Brisbane-based data analytics and financial performance management specialist Bistech for an unspecified sum.

Bistech will join Deloitte’s data analytics team in Brisbane, with Bistech co-owners Shane Morgan, Justin Hoareau and Brad Culbert in leadership roles. All 17 consultants will also join Deloitte.

“We’re incredibly excited and pleased to be joining Deloitte’s Analytics & Cognitive team, which shares the same people values and customer focus we’ve built over the last 19 years in business,” Bistech founder Shane Morgan said in a statement.

Click here to read the full story.

8 April

Toyota acquires Aussie ERP developer Revolution

Toyota Australia acquired Sydney-based software developer Revolution Software Services for an undisclosed sum.

Revolution’s flagship product is its TUNE dealer management system (DMS), a software platform that manages functions such as accounting, sales, service, parts and CRM.

Toyota Australia has been a customer with Revolution since 2008, with its TUNE platform deployed in several Toyota and Lexus dealerships across Australia.

Click here to read the full story.

17 April

Verizon Business to buy BlueJeans, taking aim at Zoom and Teams

Verizon Business announced it acquired BlueJeans Network, a cloud-based videoconferencing provider to better compete during the COVID-19 coronavirus-related teleworking surge.

BlueJeans Networks' enterprise-focused video and event platform will join Verizon's unified communications portfolio. The deal will help the carrier compete in the video space with the likes of Microsoft Teams and Zoom Video Communications, which has recently experienced some security and data privacy issues.

Verizon did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition of privately-held BlueJeans, but a report published Thursday from The Wall Street Journal said that the carrier will pay less than US$500 million for the cloud video provider.

Click here to read the full story.

11 May

Swoop acquires Anycast Networks and DCSI Broadband

Fixed wireless infrastructure provider Swoop, formerly known as Cirrus Communications, acquired Anycast Networks and DCSI Broadband

The acquisitions aim to help Swoop expand its national and international fixed wireless network and Wholesale product offering in national and international ethernet services and IP Transit.

Swoop will now go to market in three divisions, namely in wholesale, SMB and residential. The company will also acquire a call centre based in Warrugul.

Click here to read the full story.

3 June

Amaysim acquires OVO Mobile for $15.8 million

Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Amaysim acquired competitor OVO Mobile and its customer base for $15.8 million.

As part of the deal, Amaysim acquired some 77,000 new mobile subscribers, 74,000 of which are recurring subscribers, to push its total subscriber base to more than 1 million across Australia.

Like Amaysim, OVO Mobile operates on Optus’ network and claims to be the largest independently owned asset-light Aussie MVNO behind Amaysim. The company offers prepaid plans offered on a month-to-month and no lock-in contract basis.

Click here to read the full story.

15 June

Uniti Group acquires fibre network operator OptiComm

Adelaide-based telco Uniti Group announced it will acquire fibre network operator OptiComm.

Headquartered in Melbourne, OptiComm operates a fibre-to-the-premises network across Australia servicing both residential and business customers, including retirement living, community and commercial clients.

Uniti Group called OptiComm a “large scale national private fibre challenger” with the ability to “accommodate future bandwidth needs” and provide opportunities to expand into enterprise and business segments.

Click here to read the full story.

24 June

TPG-Vodafone merger approved by shareholders

TPG shareholders approved the proposed merger with Vodafone Hutchison Australia.

TPG reports that during a meeting held early on Wednesday, the requisite majorities of TPG shareholders passed the resolution to approve the ‘scheme of arrangement’, that is, the merger, its particulars and associated conditions.

According to an ASX release by TPG, 99.19 percent of TPG shareholders present at the scheme meeting on Wednesday voted in favour of the resolution.  

Click here to read the full story.

1 July

Intuit Technologies acquires Brisbane-based SureBridge

Hobart-based ICT services provider Intuit Technologies acquired Brisbane-based consultancy SureBridge for an undisclosed sum.

As part of the deal, SureBridge becomes the combined company’s northern business unit and brings together a 150-strong workforce and five offices in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Melbourne and Brisbane.

SureBridge directors Rick Brown and Glenda Solomon will step down from operational capacity but will remain as external advisors. The division will be headed by chief revenue officer Phil Dickman, while also assuming a new role of general manager for Queensland.

Click here to read the full story.

9 July

5G Networks acquires Equinix, NextDC partner ColoAU for $3m

Telecommunications provider 5G Networks acquired Brisbane-based data centre operator Colocation Australia (ColoAU) for $2.9 million.

ColoAU operates a national and international 100Gb wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) network connecting data centres in Australian capital cities to facilities in the US, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand. The company also sells and supports data racks across its data centre network.

5GN also gives its customers access to ColoAU’s automated network platform, which will be integrated with 5GN’s Cloud Federation and network of data centres.

Click here to read the full story.

10 July

Former CRN Fast50 winner Basis Networks acquired by CyberCX

Melbourne-based security provider Basis Networks was acquired by CyberCX for an undisclosed sum.

CyberCX owns a group of 14 Australian cybersecurity companies including Sense of Security, Enosys, CQR, Identity Solutions and more. The company is led by former Optus exec John Paitaridis as CEO and former National Cyber Security Adviser Alastair MacGibbon as chief strategy officer.

Basis Networks, who was ranked No. 4 in the 2017 CRN Fast50, was founded in 2015 and specialises in securing mission critical networks and cyber security services.

Click here to read the full story.

14 July

HPE to acquire Silver Peak for US$925m to boost SD-WAN, Aruba

Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s networking business is getting a serious shot in the arm with the unveiling of the company’s plan on Monday to acquire software-defined WAN standout Silver Peak for approximately US$925 million in cash.

“HPE was an early mover in identifying the opportunity at the edge and that trend is accelerating in a post-COVID world,” said HPE president and CEO Antonio Neri, in a statement. “With this acquisition we are accelerating our edge-to-cloud strategy to provide a true distributed cloud model and cloud experience for all apps and data wherever they live. Silver Peak’s innovative team and technology bring critical capabilities that will help our customers modernize and transform their networks to securely connect any edge to any cloud.”

HPE will combine Silver Peak’s SD-WAN technology with Aruba, HPE’s networking subsidiary, who was recently named a visionary in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant For Data Center And Cloud Networking.

Click here to read the full story.

17 July

Aussie MSP reseller platform Glüh acquired by Datto

Backup and disaster recovery software vendor Datto acquired Melbourne-based MSP procurement and automation platform developer Glüh for an undisclosed sum.

Glüh’s platform enables MSPs to simplify the procurement of IT products and services for their customers, and bolsters Datto’s quoting and procurement capabilities.

The company was founded in 2016 by former City Software and CSW-IT founder Lorenzo Coppa and Andrew Rauber, after the companies closed the year prior.

Click here to read the full story.

21 July

Anthony Woodward's Accelera acquires Sydney-based AWS partner Ayenem

Digital transformation and automation services specialist Accelera acquired Sydney-based DevOps provider Ayenem for an undisclosed sum.

Also based in Sydney, Accelera is the newest venture of former Bulletproof Networks CEO Anthony Woodward, working with government and mid-market clients through strategy-led digital transformation.

The acquisition of Ayenem bolsters Accelera’s consulting, delivery and operational services capability, specifically with its expertise in DevOps automation, security-focused DevSecOps and cloud platforms, including containers.

Click here to read the full story.

23 July

Tesserent acquires Seer Security

Security services specialist Tesserent acquired Melbourne and Canberra-based security consulting firm Seer Security for $5 million and Tesserent stock.

The acquisition bolsters the Tesserent’s security capabilities and presence in Canberra, with the company also claiming to be the capital’s largest pure cybersecurity provider.

Seer specialises in Government-certified delivery of assurance and governance, risk and compliance (GRC) services and software development.

Click here to read the full story.

24 July

Nexon Asia Pacific acquires Gold Coast-based GCOMM

Sydney-headquartered Nexon Asia Pacific acquired Gold Coast-based managed IT services provider GCOMM.

GCOMM offers telephony, security and cloud solutions over an enterprise-grade network through a direct and wholesale channel.

The acquisition bolsters Nexon’s footprint in Darwin, Perth and the Gold Coast via GCOMM’s network infrastructure, client base and engineering staff.

Click here to read the full story.

11 August

Over The Wire acquires Fonebox and Zintel Comms for $36m

Telco services provider Over The Wire (OTW) acquired inbound telephony services providers Fonebox and Zintel Communications from US-based conglomerate J2 Global for $36 million.

Operating as a combined entity under J2, the companies are a platform provider of 13, 1300 and 1800 inbound telecommunication services for customers ranging from SMBs to enterprises.

OTW said the acquisitions would bring in inbound telephony capabilities, including call routing intelligence, data intelligence, call management and analytics reporting, via a proprietary technology platform.

Click here to read the full story.

13 August

Sydney's First Focus acquires Mitel partner Flexnet

Sydney-headquartered managed services provider First Focus acquired Mitel platinum partner Flexnet for an undisclosed sum.

Melbourne-based Flexnet calls itself the premier Mitel partner in Victoria, specialising in PBX phone systems and unified communication solutions.

First Focus said buying Flexnet adds advanced unified communications expertise in Mitel and Shoretel systems. The deal also represents the MSPs first acquisition since 2014, when it acquired a Perth-based MSP.

Click here to read the full story.

18 August

Melbourne MSPs Milan Industries and DWM Solutions merge

Melbourne-based IT service providers Milan Industries and DWM Solutions announced that they have merged following a long-standing partnership.

The combined entity would have 30 total staff and seven offices across Australia and the Philippines, with vendor partners including Microsoft, Datto, Dell, 8X8 and Sophos.

Together the business would offer IT support services to both multinational SMB and mid-market businesses, including managed IT services, business continuity services, IT security and more.

Click here to read the full story.

19 August

Sydney cloud services providers TAS and Experteq merge

Sydney-based cloud solutions provider TAS acquired Experteq, a cloud, virtual desktop and enterprise mobility services provider.

The acquisition brings Experteq’s consulting and professional services capabilities to TAS’s existing end-to-end managed services portfolio for the financial services sector.

TAS aimed the acquisition would enable the company become a one-stop-shop with aligned solutions, knowledge, and capability across both managed services and professional services for the financial services and government sectors.

Click here to read the full story.

20 August

Spirit Telecom acquires three NSW-based managed service providers

ASX-listed Spirit Telecom has continued its acquisition spree with three new additions in its managed services business.

The IT and telco services provider announced its acquisition of Sydney-based cloud and infrastructure specialist Beachhead Group, Sydney-based commercial and industrial MSP Altitude IT and Dubbo, NSW-based IT services provider Reliance IT.

The acquisition was valued at $10.4 million, funded from a recently completed capital raising where Spirit collected $18.2 million via placement. The rest of the funds would be invested in developing Spirit’s cloud product range.

Click here to read the full story.

25 August

Xero acquires Sydney invoice lender Waddle for $31m

Cloud accounting software vendor Xero acquired Australian cloud-based lending platform Waddle for $31 million.

Xero said the acquisition aligns with the company’s ongoing strategy to grow its small business platform and address critical small business financial needs.

Sydney-based Waddle specialises in invoice finance technology that allows banks and fintechs to lend to small businesses more easily by leveraging their accounting data and automating manual processes involved in invoice financing.

Click here to read the full story.

14 September

Nvidia acquires chip designer Arm

Nvidia Corp acquired British chip designer Arm Holdings from SoftBank Group Corp for more than US$40 billion in a deal which would create a giant in the chip industry.

Nvidia is known for its graphics chips that power video games, but it has developed other markets including artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and data centers.

Arm supplies the chip technology for virtually all mobile devices such as phones and tablets but is also expanding into processors for cars, datacenter services and other devices.

Click here to read the full story.

14 September

Citadel Group to be acquired by Pacific Equity Partners for $500m

Managed services provider and software developer Citadel Group was acquired by Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) for more than $500 million.

The Australian private equity firm proposed to wholly acquire the company for $5.70 per share, or a 43 percent premium over the current share price of $3.98.

Citadel’s board unanimously recommended that shareholders vote in favour of the proposal in the absence of a superior one.

Click here to read the full story.

17 September

Melbourne MSPs Revolution IT, Shelde merge as Ampion

Melbourne-based managed service providers Revolution IT and Shelde merged to form Ampion.

The new company combines Revolution IT’s quality assurance services and Shelde’s cybersecurity and digital engineering offerings, forming a mid-tier MSP targeting both large and small businesses.

The merger aims to provide Australian businesses the breadth of capabilities of a large global systems integrator along with the depth of skill of a specialist boutique MSP.

Click here to read the full story.

18 September

5G Networks wins Webcentral bidding war with Web.com

ASX-listed web hosting provider Webcentral agreed to be acquired by telco services provider 5G Networks (5GN).

This comes despite a last-minute revised offer from rival bidder Web.com, a US-headquartered domain name and web services provider, offering to pay 18 cents per Webcentral share.

Earlier this month, 5G Networks offered to acquire Webcentral for a consideration of 1 5GN share for every 12 Webcentral shares plus a loan to pay off the latter’s debts, two months after Web.com’s original proposal in July.

Click here to read the full story.

21 September

Aussie IT outsourcing firm DWS acquired by HCL Technologies

ASX-listed Australian IT outsourcing and services firm DWS was acquired by multinational systems integrator HCL Technologies for a total consideration of $225 million.

The acquisition will see HCL adding some 700 staff across DWS’s offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra, on top of its current 1600-strong staff.

DWS said it would leverage HCL’s “significant global resources and expertise” to offer an expanded platform to its Aussie clients, while HCL also gets to bolster its services offering to existing clients and become a one-stop-shop.

Click here to read the full story.

21 September

Rhipe acquires trans-Tasman MSP Parallo

Rhipe acquired New Zealand-headquartered Azure and specialist IT services provider Parallo for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition bolsters the cloud distie’s infrastructure technology support for partners, specifically Parallo’s service offerings focused on Microsoft Azure and VMware.

Parallo specialises in the management of security, performance, availability and costs for ISVs, SaaS businesses and other scale-based cloud partners, including builds, deployments, upgrades and other related services.

Click here to read the full story.

23 September

Deloitte acquires Oracle partner Ekulus

Melbourne-based consultancy and Oracle partner Ekulus was acquired by Deloitte for an undisclosed sum.

The company and its entire staff will join Deloitte’s Consulting Enterprise Technology practice on 1 October 2020.

Ekulus specialises in Oracle’s Enterprise Cloud, particularly the Oracle CX Cloud suite, working with clients needing to maximise customer interactions to deliver customer experiences via modern digital engagement capabilities.

Click here to read the full story.

24 September

Sydney Salesforce ISV partner ClickDeploy acquired by Copado

Sydney-based ClickDeploy was acquired by fellow Salesforce ISV partner Copado for an undisclosed sum.

ClickDeploy is the developer of a free DevOps tool for Salesforce customers, which quickly creates change sets for deployment and speeds up the Salesforce deployment process.

Copado will continue offering ClickDeploy as a free option for customers, aiming to target those looking to start out with DevOps.

Click here to read the full story.

1 October

Jamf bolsters Apple patch management solutions with Mondada acquisition

Apple systems integrator Jamf signed an agreement to acquire Apple patch management solutions firm Mondada to help improve macOS security.

The news comes amid the virtual JNUC 2020 (Jamf Nation User Conference) this week in the US--which has also included other announcements such as a closer tie-in of Jamf’s solutions with Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security.

Founded in 2009, Mondada employs five and is based in Melbourne. Its patch management solutions already integrate with the flagship Jamf offering in Apple device management, Jamf Pro. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Click here to read the full story.

1 October

United Networks acquires Sydney-based Red Telecom

ASX-listed United Networks acquired Sydney-based telco Red Telecom for $500,000.

Red Telecom provides voice and data services to small and medium businesses across Australia. Some of its vendor partners include Ericsson, LG, Panasonic, OKI and Fuji Xerox.

The acquisition is United’s second in the 2021 financial year and sixth since October 2019.

Click here to read the full story.

2 October

Over The Wire to acquire Brisbane cloud provider Digital Sense Hosting

ASX-listed Over The Wire acquired Brisbane-based cloud services provider Digital Sense Hosting for $27 million.

The company is a cloud services provider specialising in infrastructure, desktop, storage and data protection-as-a-service for enterprise and government clients. It counts Netapp and Veeam as its vendor partners.

As part of the deal, OTW also takes in Digital Sense’s 40 staff and will look to take the company’s offering nationally.

Click here to read the full story.

6 October

Adelaide's Vintek acquired by multinational reseller New Era Technology

Adelaide-based IT consultancy Vintek Group was acquired by US-headquartered managed services provider New Era Technology for an undisclosed sum.

The deal also includes sibling companies Invervolve, a data centre and cloud hosting provider, and CloudCentral, a wholesale cloud services provider.

In a blog post on Vintek’s website, founder Paul Vinton said New Era was looking to expand its operations in Australia and New Zealand.

Click here to read the full story.

6 October

Brisbane-based COSOL acquires US-based MSP AddOns

ASX-listed IT services provider COSOL acquired US-based managed services provider and enterprise asset management specialist AddOns for US$1.5 million.

The deal comes after the companies first forged a working partnership in 2018, where both would resell each other’s products and services in their respective regions.

COSOL said the acquisition is in line with its ambitions of becoming a global player in enterprise asset management, bringing together 160 specialists under one roof.

Click here to read the full story.

6 October

Accenture acquires trans-Tasman SAP partner Zag

Accenture acquired trans-Tasman SAP partner and cloud solutions provider Zag for an undisclosed sum.

NZ-headquartered Zag, which also has offices in Sydney and Melbourne, is the first Kiwi SAP partner with Gold status and said it also delivered the most SAP ERP projects in New Zealand, according to its website.

Some of its offerings include consulting, development, support, testing and cloud migration, while some clients include New Zealand farmer-owned cooperative Ballance and energy provider Hydro Tasmania.

Click here to read the full story.

16 October

Fusion5 acquires NZ-based consultancy Mindfull

Melbourne-based NetSuite partner Fusion5 acquired New Zealand-based business intelligence consultancy Mindfull to expand its presence in the country.

Mindfull has vendor partnerships with IBM, Informatica and Certent and adds 100 clients to Fusion5’s New Zealand business.

The deal also creates a new corporate performance management (CPM) practice, with former Mindfull exec and current Fusion5 exec Ben Schofield at the helm as general manager of corporate performance and data management.

Click here to read the full story.

20 October

CyberCX acquires security resellers Decipher Works and CloudTen

Australian security services company CyberCX acquired cyber and cloud security providers CloudTen and Decipher Works for an undisclosed sum.

The companies were acquired from ASX-listed Vortiv, formerly known as Transaction Solutions International, whose only other business is a partial ownership of an India-based payments company.

CyberCX is a group of 16 cybersecurity companies specialising in consulting, governance, incident response, managed security services and many more. Some of the companies include Sense of Security, CQR, Identity Solutions and former CRN Fast50 winner Basis Networks.

Click here to read the full story.

2 November

Optus acquires Amaysim, three other MVNOs

Optus acquired its biggest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Amaysim, for $250 million.

The deal also includes three other Optus MVNO brands, Vaya, Jeenee and OVO, which Amaysim acquired within the last five years.

In its ASX announcement, Amaysim said the proposed sale of its mobile business to Optus would provide a premium to return to shareholders. The company plans to delist from the ASX and wind up upon completion of the deal.

Click here to read the full story.

5 November

NSW-based Dynamic Business Technologies acquires Melbourne's Connect

Newcastle-based managed service provider Dynamic Business Technologies (DBT) acquired fellow Microsoft partner Connect (Aust) Pty Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

DBT specialises in Microsoft 365 cloud solutions and modern workplace solutions, with Connect offering similar services for dental and medical clients.

The acquisition of Connect, which is based in Melbourne, would bolster DBT’s presence in Victoria and support its expansion plans.

Click here to read the full story.

11 November

Capgemini acquires ASX-listed digital services provider RXP Services for $95m

Multinational systems integrator Capgemini announced it plans to acquire Australian digital services provider RXP Services.

The France-headquartered company has offered to pay 55 cents for each RXP share, or a total of $95.5 million. RXP is currently trading at 34 cents per share.

In its announcement, Capgemini said the acquisition supports its ‘strong’ growth ambition in Asia-Pacific and the 550 new staff from RXP would bolster its capabilities in digital, data and cloud in Australia.

Click here to read the full story.

17 November

Harbour ISP acquired by Adelaide's Uniti Group

Mudgee, NSW-based broadband retail service provider Harbour ISP was acquired by ASX-listed Uniti Group for $9.25 million.

The acquisition expands Uniti’s retail service provider side of its business, with Harbour being both an NBN and OptiComm reseller for greenfield and multi-dwelling unit developments like apartments. Uniti earlier this year

In an ASX announcement, Uniti said Harbour’s “close alliances” with national developers like Mirvac through its “preferred ISP” status also made it an attractive buy for the company.

Click here to read the full story.

19 November

5G Networks acquires former Pipe Networks data centre in Brisbane

ASX-listed telecommunications services provider 5G Networks acquired a data centre in Brisbane.

The facility, acquired from Pipe Networks, adds support for 250 racks and access to 3 megawatts of power on a dual power grid for redundancy.

5GN paid $1.1 million for the data centre, including all operating infrastructure at the facility, using funds from existing cash reserves plus a “generous” rent free period as part of the 10 year lease.

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26 November

TasmaNet acquires Queensland telco Internomic

Tasmanian telco TasmaNet acquired Queensland-based company Internomic for an undisclosed sum.

Internomic owns and operates the regional Queensland brand VastNet and metro Brisbane-based brand Netmode.

The acquisition is part of TasmaNet’s national expansion program, which was launched in August.

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30 November

Telstra Purple acquires Canberra-based Epicon

Telstra acquired Canberra-headquartered managed services provider Epicon for an undisclosed amount.

Founded in 2008, Epicon has more than 100 technical specialists across the Australian east coast specialising in IT Service Management (ITSM) and IT Operations, providing customers with operational insight through data integration and analytics.

The company has a number of large enterprise customers, including government agencies like the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Home Affairs.

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1 December

Accenture acquires Melbourne-based cloud migration specialist Olikka

Accenture acquired another CRN Fast 50 company, Melbourne-based cloud migration specialist Olikka, for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition bolsters the consulting giant’s AWS and Azure capabilities and its multi-cloud strategy and cloud migration services in Australia and New Zealand.

Founded in 2011, Olikka boasts more than 20 AWS certifications, nearly 30 Microsoft Azure certifications and 50 full-time staff. The company also finished 9th in both the 2013 and 2014 editions of the CRN Fast50.

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2 December

Salesforce confirms US$27.7 billion acquisition of Slack

Cloud CRM application giant Saleforce acquired Slack Technologies, developer of the popular Slack online collaboration service, for US$27.7 billion, the two companies announced Tuesday.

The acquisition sets up a competitive collision between Salesforce and Microsoft, whose own Teams collaboration software has gained huge market traction and user adoption this year.

Salesforce and Slack announced a definitive agreement under which Salesforce will buy Slack for US$26.79 per share in cash and 0.0776 shares of common stock. That puts the total value of the deal at US$27.7 billion.

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2 December

Spirit Technology acquires security services firm Intalock for $15m

ASX-listed Spirit Technology Solutions acquired Brisbane-based security services provider Intalock for $15 million.

Intalock specialises in security services including advisory, assessment, technical services and managed services and response. It also operates a security operations centre.

Its vendor partners include Splunk, Crowdstrike, Mimecast, Microsoft Azure and more, while having some “bluechip” corporate and government clients.

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3 December

Kogan acquires NZ-based reseller Mighty Ape for $122m

Kogan.com acquired New Zealand-based PC and consumer technology reseller Mighty Ape for $122 million.

Mighty Ape runs online stores across New Zealand and Australia, selling consumer products in the gaming, toys and other entertainment categories. Some of its offerings include PC components, peripherals, software, as well as consumer technology like smartphones, imaging, audio and more.

The company has 690,000 unique customers and 895,000 subscribers. Most of its staff are based in New Zealand, including 161 full-time staff. Mighty Ape also operates a purpose-built distribution centre in Auckland.

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10 December

Ingram Micro to be acquired for US$7.2b

Ingram Micro ownership is returning stateside with an announcement Wednesday that the company was purchased by US private equity firm Platinum Equity Partners for US$7.2 billion.

The deal ends four years of ownership by HNA Group, a massive Chinese air carrier that embarked on a heavily leveraged acquisition binge that has since hobbled its growth and forced it to divest property as it struggles to make payments on its debt. HNA told Chinese regulators in May that it missed a US$750 million payment on a US$4 billion loan that was used to buy Ingram Micro.

The deal is expected to close in early 2021. Platinum Equity Partners, which was founded by Chairman and CEO Tom Gores in 1995, has US$23 billion in assets under management. Gores also owns the NBA's Detroit Pistons.

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10 December

CyberCX acquires Canberra security consultancy Foresight

Security services company CyberCX acquired Canberra-based Foresight Consulting for an undisclosed sum.

CyberCX said the acquisition would bolster its capability to deliver cyber security solutions for major government clients.

Foresight specialises in technical security compliance and assurance activities for enterprise and government, and has “extensive experience” working with federal agencies.

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16 December

Uniti Group acquires Telstra's fibre-to-the-premises network Velocity for $140m

Telco and fibre network operator Uniti Group acquired Telstra’s fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, Telstra Velocity, for $140 million.

Telstra Velocity comprises Telstra's FTTP network deployed to provide broadband services to Telstra Velocity estates and its South Brisbane Exchange regions. It currently services some 55,000 customers and covers up to 68,000 premises.

The acquisition is Uniti’s latest in a number of fibre network builders, including OptiComm and LBNCo, both of which were acquired within the past two years.

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