Bluechip Infotech acquires majority stake in NZ distie Soft Solutions

Distributor Bluechip Infotech has announced it has acquired a majority stake in New Zealand distie Soft Solutions.

Bluechip said it acquired a 60 percent stake in Soft Solutions, with existing owner Chris Fitzgerald retaining the remaining 40 percent.

Based in Auckland, Soft Solutions specialises in security, network management, VoIP, help desk/ticketing systems and storage solutions. It has arrangements with some 30 vendors, including 3CX, ManageEngine, N-Able and StorageCraft.

The acquisition gives Bluechip a physical presence in New Zealand, adding to its footprint across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

“The acquisition consolidates both companies into a more substantial group entity and accelerates growth," Bluechip Infotech managing director Johnson Hsiung said.

"It offers vendors and channel partners unmatched value-added services and relationships. This spans a wide range of technology and market segments in Australia and New Zealand.”

Speaking on the investment, Fitzgerald said, “We have a history of bringing challenger solutions to the ICT reseller and MSP community in New Zealand.”

“An increasing number of ICT vendors are looking for distributors who can provide coverage across Australia and New Zealand.”

Hsiung added that the two companies’ visions and synergies are “considerable” and decided to join forces to expand. He said there will be no changes to Soft’s operations with Fitzgerald continuing to manage the company.

“Both companies operate in different countries and have minimal vendor and customer overlap, so the opportunity to expand and accelerate growth is significant,” he said.

“We will be actively reviewing vendor relationships to look for opportunities to expand the existing representation into the other country while also continuing to solicit new vendors using the strength of the enlarged geography as an additional selling point.”

Earlier this year, Bluechip merged with fellow distributor DNA Connect to form what it called a new “powerhouse” Australian distributor, bringing together its SMB focus with DNA’s enterprise customer base.

Bluechip also acquired DNA Connect’s partner services and training arm Ingeniq as part of the deal. The company is an authorised Splunk training provider for customers, partners and Splunk employees.