Blue Mantis SME Buy Gives MSP, Partners Data Play

IT services provider Blue Mantis has catapulted itself into the data consulting and integration market with the purchase of business intelligence provider SME Solutions Group.

The deal pairs New Hampshire-based Blue Mantis with Florida-based SME, which provides solutions and professional services around data enablement, data governance, analytics and IT testing to business customers. Blue Mantis will create a data enablement and analytics practice that SME founder Chris Moyer will lead.

“With this acquisition, Blue Mantis significantly strengthens its offerings and capabilities in data management, business intelligence and AI readiness, further solidifying our position as a premier technology services provider to the midmarket,” Blue Mantis chief revenue officer Terry Richardson said. “SME Solutions Group has a 14-year track record of success in data analytics across various industries. Combined with our expertise in managed services, we’re well-positioned to help clients solve their most pressing data management challenges. We anticipate strong interest from clients in the new offerings from our data enablement and analytics practice.”

Blue Mantis says it works with 1,250 midmarket and enterprise businesses.

What Is SME?

SME describes its offering as "business intelligence as a service (BIaaS)." The companies said SME's data integration and automation solutions will help Blue Mantis as it engages with customers.

Related:Blue Mantis Teams with AI Company on Microsoft Copilot

Blue Mantis also cites SME's vertical expertise in energy, utilities, financial services and health care. The firm in 2020 acquired the healthcare-focused consultancy Aculytics.

SME also partners with vendors like Snowflake and Matillion, with whom Blue Mantis had not previous worked. SME has offered the ThoughtSpot (in which Snowflake invested) analytics platform as a managed service.

Chris Moyer came out of the energy and utilities space, having worked for NextEra Energy and PECO Energy prior to starting SME in 2011.

"Joining forces with Blue Mantis presents a significant market opportunity to expand our reach and enhance our service offerings,” Moyer said. “Our shared commitment to innovation and client success makes this a natural fit. We look forward to combining our expertise in data analytics and professional services with Blue Mantis' comprehensive IT, security and managed services solutions to drive even greater value for clients."

Private equity firm Recognize made a majority investment in Blue Mantis in September. According to Blue Mantis' chief revenue officer, the funding represented a shift in focus from profit to revenue. A month before the Recognize announced its investment, Blue Mantis bought public sector-focused cybersecurity provider HighTechnique.

Related:Blue Mantis Boosts Cybersecurity, Public Sector Practices with Acquisition

Partner Impact

Although Blue Mantis resells products from vendors like Dell and VMware, the MSP also acts as a supplier for selling partners. Technology advisors (agents) sell Blue Mantis' portfolio, which ranges from its managed IT services to cloud licensing. David Lallemand, vice president of channel sales at Blue Mantis, said partners can get in on the data enablement play.

Blue Mantis' David Lallemand

"Our partner community will have access to selling services from the data enablement and analytics practice, as well as all other services we offer through Blue Mantis. This integration will not only enhance our partners' offerings, but also empower them to deliver comprehensive solutions to their clients. We are committed to supporting our partners with the necessary training, resources, and marketing materials to ensure they can effectively promote and sell these services. By working together, we can achieve greater success and drive value for our clients," Lallemand told Channel Futures.