Managed data services provider continues its acquisition strategy to add new capability in areas such as IP telephony and video conferencing
Six Degrees Group has acquired unified communications integrator Aurora Networks for an undisclosed fee. The firm, which was formed last October backed by £60 million of funding, has now bought more than 10 companies.
The managed data services provider said Aurora, which has been growing organically at over 20 per cent year-on-year, brings new capability in the areas of IP telephony and video conferencing, along with a complimentary portfolio of data networking and fixed line services.
Six Degrees added the acquisition will provide incremental revenue opportunities for it in emerging market sectors such as hosting of communications servers along with mainstream IT applications and in managed video services.
It said it would allow it to leverage a £2 million investment in core network upgrades, including SIP trunking, through the provision of converged video and VoIP solutions. The purchase of Aurora takes Six Degrees’ run-rate position to £54 million revenue and £13 million EBITDA.
Aurora, which is based in London, was founded in 2003 by Mark Tyers and Dan Cholerton and both will be joining Six Degrees along with 20 employees. The company is accredited with Avaya, Polycom and Radvision, with three quarters of its revenues for contracted services.
Six Degrees CEO Alastair Mills (pictured) said: “The acquisition plugs a gap in our portfolio and allows us to offer new converged services and to add IP telephony to our co-location and cloud hosting offerings. It also enables us to offer video as part of our managed data services suite.
“Mark and Dan have established a company delivering impressive organic growth with excellent operational and technical capabilities. I have been following their progress for several years and I am delighted that they are joining the Six Degrees Group team.
“Aurora Networks managing director Mark Tyers said: “We’re joining one of the most ambitious companies in the mid-market, an area which has always been our focus, and we’ll be adding new products to an already strong Group.
“The potential for us to cross-sell telephony, LAN and video offerings into their existing customers, as well as for us to provide managed data services to our theirs, is tremendously appealing to us.”
