Digital transformation and business solutions firm Fusion5 has acquired a competitor in the Oracle NetSuite solutions arena, purchasing Melbourne-headquartered Liberate I.T. for an undisclosed sum as it seeks to consolidate its presence in the space.
Sydney-based Fusion5 - a NetSuite, Microsoft, Citrix and IBM partner that boasts more than 1,000 customers - will bring the new subsidiary into the fold and add Liberate I.T.'s staff to its teams across Australasia.
Founded in 2011, Liberate I.T. is a NetSuite solution provider with 30 employees who have extensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) experience, working from six Australian and New Zealand locations serving more than 120 customers.
Speaking to Business News Australia, Fusion5 executive director - NetSuite and corporate performance management Grant Robertson said the impetus behind the deal was to gain a greater foothold in the NetSuite space.
“We’ve worked in a competitive environment against Liberate I.T. in the NetSuite world over the last 10 years, so there’s a healthy respect,” Robertson said.
“We’ve had a lot of success with organic growth, but we also like to have some M&A activities along the way in the particular verticals that we may not have great coverage in, and that gives us a leg up and allows us to grow very quickly and provide more to our customers.
“So we’re bringing together two very similarly run organisations that have strong sales teams, strong marketing, strong brands, a quality team of professionals - it just was easy.”
As part of the deal, Liberate I.T. owner and director Jim Brodie will be exiting the company. Nevertheless, the director said the deal made sense for both entities.
“Combining our companies makes sense,” Brodie said.
“It provides additional capability and support for our customer base and exciting opportunities for the Liberate I.T. staff.”
Under the deal, Liberate I.T.’s team members will join the Fusion5 teams in its Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne offices.
“One of the great things is the geographic spread of the talent,” Robertson said.
“They’re in all of the cities and states that we’re in as well.
“The Liberate brand will fold into Fusion5 - just because of the nature of the Oracle agreements.”
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