Datatec`s Logicalis Group has acquired Hawke Systems, a supplier of advanced computing infrastructure solutions with annual revenues of over lb15 million.
The Berkshire-based Hawke is a 3i-backed designer and implementer of high-end storage and server solutions and is one of a limited number of HP Storage Elite Partners in the UK.
The acquisition is the latest in a series of Logicalis deals aimed at augmenting the skills offering of its UK business. Hawke will become the HP-focused division of Logicalis Computing Solutions under the leadership of Logicalis Computing Solutions` managing director Steve Ellis.
Group CEO Jens Montanana says the acquisition significantly strengthens Logicalis Europe`s key UK operations and balances its existing Cisco and IBM-based business.
"The move enables us to take another big step forward in building further breadth into a business that offers not only networking but also significant enterprise computing and storage solutions. It will also add scale to the Logicalis UK business, increasing annualised revenues from over lb80 million to approximately lb100 million."
The acquisition is complementary to Logicalis` March 2005 acquisition of lb30 million-a-year Notability, which positioned Logicalis Group as a strategic IBM partner in both the UK and US markets. Logicalis also recently acquired Solution Technology Inc, a US Premier IBM business partner, and Eisco Technology Inc, a US IBM solutions provider that focuses on high-end IBM zSeries mainframe solutions.
The Hawke acquisition will ensure that Logicalis UK`s revenue stream more closely resembles that of the group`s existing US business mix, and enables the company to develop a strong multi-vendor storage offering. It offers substantial new business opportunities for Logicalis Network Solutions and also allows Logicalis UK to take advantage of UK HP opportunities from Logicalis US customers, where Logicalis is HP`s largest US Enterprise Solutions Partner.
Ian Cook, CEO of Logicalis` European operations, says the acquisition will enable Logicalis to become a dominant supplier in its sector - delivering secure, converged computing and communications infrastructure and services for ambitious and innovative organisations. "These developments mean Logicalis will differentiate itself from its competitors by having both a superior understanding of the increasingly complex end-to-end information flows in an organisation, and the ability to using that knowledge to design, install and manage systems and system components - particularly in the HP and IBM enterprise server and storage arena," he notes. Hawke Managing Director Rob Jefferson welcomes the move. "Hawke`s management team is very excited at the prospect of being part of the Logicalis Group at such an exciting time. Together, the combined companies will offer complementary solutions that will not only continue to satisfy existing customers but will provide inroads into new business against the background of rapidly growing demand for converged infrastructures and services where server and storage skills and expertise really count."
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Logicalis is an international provider of high-performance IT integration solutions. The Logicalis Group employs 800 people worldwide, including highly-trained service specialists who specify, design, deploy and manage IT infrastructure to meet the needs of over 5 000 corporate and public sector customers. Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as IBM, HP and Cisco.
In addition, Logicalis in the UK has achieved independent triple certification for its integrated management system supporting computing and communications solutions, information security and IT service management offerings: ISO 9001/2000; BS7799 and BS15000 respectively.
The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, a $2.5 billion business listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. With its international headquarters in the UK, Logicalis has annualised revenues in excess of $500 million from operations in the US, UK, Germany and South America. For more information, visit www.uk.logicalis.com.
Hawke
Hawke was founded in 1982 originally part of the Lex Group as a DEC reseller. In 1990 the management team led an MBO backed by 3i.
Hawke serves a broad range of 200 blue-chip and mid-market customers including Diageo, AWE, Tarmac, Camelot, ITV, EADS, Astrium, Corus, Merthyr CBC, Coats, Suffolk CC, GE Amersham, Budget Rent a Car and Portman Building Society. As well as HP, its partners include Veritas, NetApp, VMWare, Legato, KVS and Sun. Hawke`s storage solutions cover the full spectrum of storage requirements, including SANs, NAS, backup and recovery, storage resource management, disk and tape solutions, disaster recovery, e-mail archiving and emerging technologies such as enterprise ATA and iSCSI SANs.
In addition, Hawke has a number of partnerships with companies which utilise the company`s technical skills to design solutions for their customers. These include Inmac, PCWorld Business, LogicaCMG and Centerprise.
Hawke exists to help organisations improve their technology infrastructure. Its ability to support their business through expertise in high-availability storage and server technology is backed by quality planning, design and implementation skills and a range of other complementary services that have been honed over 20 years of delivering complex IT projects on time and on budget. For more information, visit www.hawke.co.uk.