Latest M&A: Upstack, CDW, Cox, Microsoft, Dialpad, More
The Zoom-Five9 deal is off, but contact center M&A remains hot.
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The cloud communications provider upped its omnichannel conversational commerce solutions.
Vonage bought Jumper.ai, acquiring the Singapore-basd company’s technical team and intellectual property. Jumper.ai provides messaging-first customer engagement solutions. Vonage will integrate Jumper.ai developers and partners into its global ecosystem.
Edward Gately has the scoop.
The IT management software provider hosted several conversations about M&A at its Las Vegas conference.
Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola said the M&A process has become more sophisticated, as far as it pertains to the MSP space. He noted, for example, that the SMB M&A market is growing faster than all but one.
“When you talk to small business owners, most [of them] recognize that their businesses are being digitally transformed, and need your help to do it,” Voccola told partners.
Check out Allison Francis’ recap of Kaseya Connect IT Global.
One of the adviser channel’s most prominent figures sold to Upstack.
Chris Palermo, who founded Global Communications Networks (GCN) in 1997, joined Upstack as president. Upstack revealed that more than a dozen agencies have signed on as equity stakeholders.
Read about why Palermo agreed to the transaction.
Forcepoint annouonced its third acquisition of 2021.
The vendor is adding Bitglass and its security service edge platform. Forcepoint will integrate that platform into its own SASE platform, combining features like cloud access security broker, zero trust network access and cloud security posture management. Customers will be able to manage those solutions from a single console.
Read about the security team-up.
CDW captured the attention of VARs and MSPs alike with its purchase of Sirius Computer Solutions.
MSP Sirius comes with a $2.5 billion price tag. One MSP noted that the transaction doesn’t so much up the stakes for fellow MSPs as it ups the stakes for the new TD-Synnex company.
“Previously, selling hardware and software was enough to keep up with the Ingram Micros and the newly merged TD Synnexes of the world,” a partner said. “But as technology moves toward solution selling, this will enable CDW to compete.”
See what MSPs told Allison Francis and Edward Gately abou the deal.
Dialpad bought an omnichannel contact center support provider.
Koopid will provide AI-driven customer experience insights to Dialpad’s contact center platform. Executives say the integration will provide a “360-degree view of customer interactions.”
Read about why Dialpad picked Koopid.
One Identity and OneLogin joined forces to offer a “holistic” identity security approach.
OneLogin provides identity access management solutions and transacts with approximately 5,000 customers. One Identity also manages identities for businesses.
Executives say the acquisition helps the combined company compete against vendors that provide point security solutions.
Get details on the acquisition.
Comcast made its acquisition of Masergy official.
Partners are expressing cautious optimism about how the integration process will go. One partner expressed that Comcast can bring value to partners if it preserves Masergy’s “white-glove service.” Another noted that Comcast’s ambitions to tackle the enterprise market spell opportunities for adviser/broker partners.
Check out all the comments partners made about the future of the combined company.
Green Cloud Defense, formerly known as Green Cloud Technologies, agreed to an acquisition by managed infrastructure solutions provider 11:11 Systems.
A private equity firm owns 11:11 Systems. Its CEO sated that the deal will create a platform that provides both infrastructure solutions and “connectivity, cloud and security services.”
Co-founder Charles Houser explained that the time had come for the company to sell.
“We have been in business for 10 years, which means we had some investors that invested almost 10 years ago,” he told Channel Futures. “We wanted to give them a liquidity event.”
Check out Kelly Teal’s story.
CSG improved its quote and order capabilities with an acquisition.
The vendor purchased DGIT Systems, which provides the telco industry with configure, price and quote (CPQ) solutions. It also provides order management solutions.
The financially undisclosed acquisition brings together two companies that were already partnering with one another.
Read more about CSG and its acquisition.
Cloud distributor Pax8 has officially entered 52 countries thanks to its acquisitions.
Pax8 most recently acquired the European distributor Resello in order to capitalize on what chief revenue officer Nick Heddy called “pent-up demand” for services in Europe.
Pax8 has also acquired cloud hosting and consultancy Wirehive and training provider Sea-Level Operations in 2021.
Check out Heddy’s interview with Craig Galbraith.
Cox Communications expanded its network coverage with its latest deal.
The MSO closed its purchase of Segra’s commercial services and carrier unit. Segra helps fill geographical gaps in Cox’s portfolio, particularly on the East Coast.
Segra will retain its name. Cox will eventually offer the Segra portfolio through its solution brokerage partners.
Learn about the purchase.
Rumors swirled that Zayo Group was looking at a couple of big acquisition targets.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Zayo had engaged in talks to acquire both Windstream and a real estate investment trust spun out of Windstream named Uniti.
However, the Wall Street Journal also reported that the conversation fizzled out over price.
Learn more about those juicy rumors.
KnowBe4‘s new purchase will help train customers about cyberthreats.
SecurityAdvisor and its portfolio of 50-plus cybersecurity integrations will join KnowBe4 for $80 million. SecurityAdvisor will ultimately integrate into the purchaser’s security awareness platform.
See the nitty gritty details of the acquisition.
Microsoft‘s latest acquisition enhances its Viva employee experience platform.
The Redmond, Washington-based computing giant bought Ally.io, which a former Microsoft employee founded. Ally.io provides a SaaS-based objectives and key results solutions. In other words, it helps employees set goals for themselves.
Jeffrey Schwartz covered the transaction.
Microsoft‘s latest acquisition enhances its Viva employee experience platform.
The Redmond, Washington-based computing giant bought Ally.io, which a former Microsoft employee founded. Ally.io provides a SaaS-based objectives and key results solutions. In other words, it helps employees set goals for themselves.
Jeffrey Schwartz covered the transaction.
Vendors and partners are enhancing their contact center, managed services and security postures through acquisitions.
Zoom‘s blockbuster contact center purchase of Five9 fell through, but other vendors continue to heat up the arms race with acquisitions. Dialpad, for example, added more AI features to its platform.
We’re also seeing consolidation in the connectivity space. Cox deepened its network with the acquisition of Segra’s commercials services unit, and Zayo Group reportedly talked to a well-known carrier about an acquisition.
In addition, partner M&A continues to feature prominently. CDW made a big move last month with its multibillion-dollar purchase of an MSP, and Upstack purchased an influential consultancy.
Scroll through the 16 images above to see the most impactful M&A news.
Did you miss our previous M&A roundup? Check it out here.
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