Jens Montanana

Westcon, a subsidiary of dual-listed Datatec, has bought an Austrian value-added security distributor, Triple AcceSSS IT, as well as its Swiss subsidiary, for an undisclosed amount.

Triple AcceSSS has a portfolio of solutions covering 20 vendors and has been operated by its current management team since being incorporated in 2006.

The group provides customers with professional services, including training, help-desk, and third level support services. It is expected to report revenue of more than €14 million – about R140.8 million – for the year to June.

The deal expands Westcon’s security business footprint in Europe and, as Triple AcceSSS has a similar vendor portfolio, it will also strengthen Westcon’s relationships with security vendors such as Trend Micro, F5, Blue Coat and BlueCat. It will also add new vendors, such as Lifesize, to Westcon’s portfolio, says Datatec in a statement.

Datatec chief executive Jens Montanana notes the transaction “closes a clear gap in the Westcon security business’ European footprint”. He says it allows Westcon to address the needs of customers in the “important” Germany, Austria and Switzerland markets.

“Triple AcceSSS’ vendor portfolio is complementary and the acquisition also offers opportunities for Westcon to address customer needs within adjacent territories such as Hungary, Romania and the Balkans,” says Montanana.

Earlier this month, Westcon agreed to buy the Latin American and Iberian multinational security, virtualisation and data centre distributor, Afina Group, by acquiring its Panamanian holding company GLS Software SA from Araguaya.

The deal, valued at up to €50 million – or about R506.8 million – expands Westcon’s presence in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and North Africa.

In the 2012 financial year, Westcon turned over $3.2 billion of Datatec’s $5.03 billion revenue.

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