British software distributor QBS Distribution has acquired French counterpart Siener Informatique, in a move the firm says provides access to more than 20 years of experience in the country.
At present, QBS Distribution boasts a portfolio of 400 resellers. However, less than 10% are located outside of the UK and the company has confirmed plans to grow significantly outside of its home market.
“We have tripled our turnover over the last two years. An international development is mandatory to be able to sustain this trend, while at the same time remaining close to our customers,” said Dave Stevinson, general manager at QBS Distribution.
“We naturally decided to target the European countries as a priority, starting with France and Germany, with the other following depending on the local opportunities that arise. Siener Informatique shares the same vision, values and philosophy as we do. This merger is therefore a natural fit.”
With a turnover of almost €7 million, Siener Informatique had reached a “critical size,” according to its founder Anita Bitard, with the “timely takeover” now allowing the firm to grow its presence further.
As the main software distributor in the UK, QBS has 8,000 publishers active in its catalogue, compared to just 70 for Siener Informatique – allowing for plenty of room for expansion.
From a practical point of view, however, the merger will not change anything for French firm.
���The structure will not change, and I remain as manager,” Bitard explained. “We will strengthen our sales and pre-sales staff as our offer is extended, with existing and future distribution contracts being managed at group level.”
QBS will also closely follow the progress of Siener Informatique’s new Siener Cloud offering, which is aimed primarily at French MSPs with ESET, as well as providing access to the services of 17 other publishers.
“While we have ongoing developments at QBS, this market is not our core business,” Stevinson explained. “It is therefore still a little early to consider a common strategy on the subject.”
