Tag: GCI

GCI gets extra Modality

Converged ICT Services Provider GCI has acquired Modality Systems, which claims to be the world’s largest dedicated Microsoft communications and collaboration practice with operations in the UK, USA, Asia and Australia.

The move means GCI can expand its international business and capitalise on the growing global market for its Microsoft-based, cloud-enabled intelligent communications services.

GCI gets investment from Mayfair for future acquisitions

Finding-Nemo-Shark-Wallpaper-HDIT services provider GCI has announced that private equity house Mayfair has become majority stakeholders in the business, giving it more than £60 million investment fund for further acquisitions.

GCI  has been a bit of shark in the last few years, snapping up Blue Chip Data Systems and Freedom Communications. With £60 million to play with, the company is guaranteed to be window shopping for more targets.

The company has indicated that it is in no hurry to make more acquisitions as it does not see itself as having many gaps in its portfolio.  It is more interested in strategic investments to provide speed, scale, and market share.

However, it added that it would be looking out for innovative companies that can further add to its service range.

The move means previous majority stakeholder BGF will be exiting entirely from the business. Wayne Martin, who sold most of his shares to Mayfair, will continue to retain a stake in the company.

GCI mixes in Blue Chip  

Roger-Montgomery-warns-investors-against-buying-blue-chip-stocks-for-their-share-portfoliosGCI has written a cheque for managed services player Blue Chip completing the outfit’s fifth acquisition in 18 months.

GCI has bought names such as Outsourcery and Freedom, but the Blue Chip deal will add 500 staff and not far off £100 million in turnover.

It also adds full IT support to the services that GCI can offer, which should help meet customer demand for assistance with GDPR and digital transformation projects.

GCI CEO Adrian Thirkill said: “Our latest acquisition is another great name and is right up there with earlier acquisitions including Outsourcery and Freedom which have already added immeasurably to our capability. It’s a really simple story: we are continuing our commitment to finesse the shape and direction of GCI and align our services and solutions with our customers’ requirements across all sectors in large SME, mid-tier enterprise, strategic partners and UK Government. Digital transformation is here to stay and it naturally flows through to digital ‘business as usual.”

Richard Cook, managing director at Blue Chip, said that it was rare for two firms with a couple of decades experience each to come together so well.

“Blue Chip enables in-house IT staff to focus on front-end business improvement priorities while we monitor their digital heartbeat and take care of the routine stuff, that includes patching, backups, device management and much more,” said Cook.

” The big plus point is that we are there to help with strategic shaping providing solid advice backed by the combined learning of 40,000 deployments, a huge technical resource, and skills that span virtually every leading technology vendor and all environments: on-premise, private cloud, public cloud, hybrid. That’s a great mix for our customers which include some of the most prestigious names in the UK,” he added.