Datatec unit in two European acquisitions

Logicalis Group, a subsidiary of JSE-listed technology group Datatec, has acquired two companies in Europe.

The acquisitions are a 70% stake in Cilnet, a Cisco systems integrator and managed services business in Portugal, and Orange Networks, a Microsoft services business based in Germany.

The Cilnet deal gives Logicalis access to Cisco technical expertise in the Iberian region and “complements the existing Spanish operation with data centre, collaboration, networking, infrastructure and managed services capabilities”.

Cilnet was founded in 2000 and has about 90 employees, including eight Cisco Certified Internetwork Experts (CCIEs).

The company designs and integrates networking, data centre and contact centre solutions, complemented with security, managed services and application development skills. Annual revenues are about €20-million.

Logicalis Germany’s acquisition of Orange Networks gives the group access to Microsoft cloud and managed services, with presence in Hamburg, Munich, Offenbach and Düsseldorf.

“This acquisition advances Logicalis Germany to Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status and enhances its hybrid cloud offering,” Datatec said in a statement to shareholders on Tuesday.

‘Additional expertise’

Orange Networks was founded in 2004 with its headquarters in Hamburg. It has 36 employees and annual
revenue of about €5-million.

“Both these acquisitions bring additional expertise and experience that will prove valuable to Logicalis’s existing client base in Europe,” said Datatec CEO Jens Montanana.

“Cilnet will augment our Cisco offerings across the whole region of Iberia, increasing our capabilities and expanding our service portfolio. Orange Networks’ Microsoft Azure skill sets in the cloud space will provide additional expertise and experience both in Germany and other parts of Europe.”  — (c) 2019 NewsCentral Media