Spotlight - Channel Insider
Empowering the next generation Channel

10 Important Channel Acquisitions in 2010

By Ericka Chickowski on 2010-12-30



Big IT vendors weren't the only one making M&A waves this year. VARs, MSPs and distributors all laid cash on the table to consolidate and buy new capabilities that will help them compete more effectively in the coming years.

  • of

Covad and Megapath merge, buy SpeakEasy

Shortly after announcing a merger between Covad and MegaPath, the two companies together said they would buy SpeakEasy to create what it calls " a next generation Managed Services Local Exchange Carrier." Together the newly merged company services over 85,000 customers.

PCMall buys Network Services Plus Inc.

Online PC retailer PCMall shelled out $9.1 million to diversify into the MSP market with the pickup of Network Services Plus, a hosted data center and managed IT service provider.

Sirius Computer Solutions Inc buys MSI Systems Integrators

IT solutions provider Sirius Computer Solutions rounded out its offerings by purchasing the integration capabilities and expertise of MSI Systems Integrators. Sirius reports that the deal will push its annual sales over $1 billion annually.

Telephone and Data Systems buys TEAM Technologies.

Telephone and Data Systems spent $47 million this year to purchase data center service provider TEAM Technologies in a deal that will add colocation, disaster recovery and data security to its portfolio.

Avnet, Inc. buys Bell Microproducts Inc.

Distie giant Avnet shelled out a whopping $631 million for the privilege of purchasing competitor Bell Microproducts in a move that further consolidates the distribution market.

Rackspace Hosting buys Cloudkick

Web hoster Rackspace is positioning itself for future growth and adjustments with the acquisition of Cloudkick, a cloud server management business.

IBM buys National Interest Security Company

IBM continues to show its chops in serving the federal cybersecurity and logistics markets. This year it purchased National Interest Security Company, of Fairfax, VA, a deal that will likely play a part in future 'smart government' consulting gambits by IBM.

Architel Holdings LLC buys Applied Resource Technologies Inc.

Break-fix companies take note--the flat fee companies are doing well enough to start acquiring. Flat-fee MSP specialist Architel Holdings reportedly spent seven figures to buy its break-fix competitor Applied Resource Technologies. We'll see how the integration goes.

All Covered buys The IT Pros

All Covered made waves earlier this year with the announcement that it would begin an aggressive multi-year acquisition campaign to build its MSP empire. Its big purchase this year was of San Diego-based The IT Pros.

NTT buys Dimension Data

We've mostly focused on US deals in this list, but NTT's massive $3.2 billion purchase of South African-headquartered Dimension Data shows how truly global the IT services market has truly grown.

  • More slideshows

 
CHANNEL RESOURCE CENTER
 
 
 

Intel Technology Provider Program

Intel Technology Provider Program (ITP) helps resellers better understand Intel products which power the technology they sell, and enables value-add services such as remote manageability or anti-theft tracking.
Learn More
 
WindowsForDevices.com
WindowsForDevices.com is the comprehensive news site covering Windows embedded technologies. Visitors get news, technical white papers, opinion columns and extensive directories covering the products and companies in the marketplace.
Click Here
 
Check out our top five picks for technologies that will change the game in enterprise computing.
Learn MoreClick Here