ICT services provider Atio has sold off some of its contact centre assets to Nasdaq-listed Interactive Intelligence for R54 million.
Atio, which has been an Interactive Intelligence reseller since 2002, will be paid in cash for the assets. Interactive Intelligence offers an 'all-in-one' contact centre platform.
The deal sees Interactive Intelligence taking over some of Atio's Interactive Intelligence-related contact centre assets so that Interactive Intelligence can better serve the South African and sub-Saharan region.
Atio CEO Chris van der Sande says: “Atio signed up as an Interactive Intelligence value-added reseller in 2002, shortly after I took over the reins here.”
Van der Sande notes that when Interactive Intelligence approached the company and offered to buy that part of its business, “it simply made a lot of sense for us and my shareholders”.
Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO Don Brown says Atio has a successful track record and expertise in key industries such as financial services, telecommunications and government, which made Atio's Interactive business “an ideal acquisition choice”.
Brown says the deal “marks our continued strategy to more effectively grow our existing operations in key international geographies, which began early last year with reseller acquisitions in Germany and Australia”.
Slow transition
A new company, Interactive Intelligence South Africa, has been formed. It will employ about 40 people serving SA and sub-Saharan Africa, and will occupy one of Atio's buildings in Johannesburg, which will now function as its regional headquarters serving all of Africa, Interactive Intelligence says on its Web site.
Interactive Intelligence will honour existing support contracts entered into between Atio and its customers, it says. Over time, customers will be transitioned to Interactive Intelligence support agreements. Until notified, Atio customers will continue to call their regular number for support.
"Africa is increasingly popular as a preferred destination of contact centres," said Frost & Sullivan's business unit leader for ICT Africa, Birgitta Cederstrom. “SA, specifically, has been a natural choice for contact centres due to its large and articulate English-speaking population and services-oriented business culture.”
The new unit will be headed up by Interactive Intelligence division MD Andr'e le Roux. Atio will retain the cash to fund other growth initiatives it has in the pipeline.
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