Phoenix47, an IT infrastructure services and consultancy business, has acquired the white-labelled channel support services specialist First Option Technical Support.
First Option Technical Support is based in Hampshire, UK and serves vendors, distributors and resellers globally. The agreement sees Poole, Dorset-based Phoenix47 relocating to First Options' New Alresford headquarters.
Ed Crane (pictured), CEO of Phoenix47, said: “The acquisition [for an undisclosed sum] demonstrates Phoenix47’s capability, expertise and confidence in continuing to grow our channel and vendor services. In concluding the deal we are excited about enhancing our capabilities with the addition of technical support services.”
Phoenix47 itself is a channel-focused IT infrastructure services business and says it has experienced “very rapid” organic growth over the last few years. It says it has “absorbed” employees that were working for First Option to “be able to take on larger operations and transactions”. Tim Considine, founder of First Option Technical Support, said: "Good tech support is not just about knowledge and expertise, it's also about nurturing clients post-sales, which sadly many in the IT industry overlook.
"We have been doing the right thing for our clients under their own brand for 25 years. They see the value of this approach through improved end-customer retention and Net Promoter scores. Our utilisation-based pricing model means we deliver this more cost-effectively than tying up internal client resources.”
Crane said First Option's organisational structure will remain the same and that there will be no changes in the roles of the management team. A new website will go live in the few next weeks with additional tools for clients, and an “enhanced plan” for additional services is underway. “We thank the First Options team for their welcome and look forward to building on their efforts,” said Crane.
