Giacom, the channel-only cloud services provider, is being acquired by channel-only IT, communications and cloud platform business Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS).
Giacom’s Cloud Market platform, the UK’s largest independent cloud portal, is all about making life easier for IT businesses who look after the IT needs of the UK’s SMEs. Cloud Market delivers SaaS solutions, including Microsoft 365 and Azure, security and backup solutions to over 70,000 end-user SMEs through Giacom’s ITC clients.
DWS is a high growth, channel-only software platform business providing IT, communications and cloud products and services to over 2,500 UK partners, with expertise in Voice, Mobile, Unified Comms and Connectivity services.
As remote working and cloud-based collaboration accelerates the convergence of unified communications and IT, both companies are excited about the potential growth opportunity.
Giacom’s CEO, Mike Wardell will remain in post, the Giacom business with the support of his existing management team. The business will continue to operate its hugely successful, clear and simple, customer-first, channel focused model under the Giacom brand. The added value to customers will be the potential opportunities to cross-pollinate products and share expertise through the group of businesses.
“The more time we spent with the team from DWS, the more similarities we saw in our businesses and how we approach the channel. From our focus on customer experience to our business values to the integration approach we each adopt for our technology platforms, it was clear that the two businesses are a great fit” said Wardell.
Terry O’Brien, CEO of DWS commented, “I’ve admired the Giacom business for a number of years – a great channel-only business, obsessed about delivering great products and a great experience for partners through a great platform. We have so much in common in terms of focus, ways of working and values. Bringing together these two high growth businesses in Unified comms and Cloud services is a huge step forward in our plans to support an ever converging ICT partner channel. I think this will be great for our combined 5,500 partners and I am really looking forward to working with Mike and his team at Giacom.”
Founded in 1999, Giacom has achieved tremendous growth since becoming a Cloud Marketplace and indirect cloud software provider four years ago, capitalising on an industry shift towards cloud-based solutions. Recently announced as Business Insider’s Fastest Growing Business in Yorkshire, they have been a Sunday Times Tech Track 100 company for four years in a row and have just passed the milestone of one million product licenses sold.
“We’re thankful to our loyal customers and partners as well as to our dedicated employees whose innovation and hard work made it possible for us to reach this important milestone, and also to our investors for their support on our growth journey,” said Mike Wardell. “As we work together, I’m excited about the extra value we can add for our customers, providing access to products, training and expertise that helps them stay ahead of a changing market”.
Sellers Livingbridge, one of the UK’s mid-market private equity investors, first invested in Giacom in 2017. The principal advisors on this exit for Livingbridge included Alantra (Corporate Finance – James Chapman-Andrews, Oliver Norman, Jamie Dickson and Milan Vashi.), Pinsent Masons (Legal), PwC (Commercial due diligence) and KPMG (Financial due diligence).
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