Leading Australian telecoms firm Telstra has acquired Company85, a UK-based technology services business and leading provider of data centre, workspace, cloud, security and network services.
Christopher Smith, Telstra’s executive director of business technology services, said the acquisition was aligned to Telstra’s strategy to grow its technology services business internationally.
It will also significantly enhance Telstra’s service offering for UK and European based business and government customers.
“Company85’s offering is strongly aligned to the existing suite of technology consulting services we offer our Australian customers, and is consistent with the strategic investments we have made in Australia,” he said.
“Importantly, it aligns with our strategy to grow our services business in regions that are key hubs for multinational corporations.
“We see the UK as a key market for our growing technology services business and a strong platform to expand into Europe.”
Smith said Company85 was highly regarded in the UK for its consulting and technical expertise, including the market-leading approach it has developed for standardising and automating data centre migrations.
“As organisations look to digitise their business, whether it’s to expand into new markets, create new products or improve efficiency, they are increasingly seeking integrated solutions for their network, security and cloud infrastructure, as well as advice on how to implement and manage these,” he said.
“Company85’s broad set of consulting capabilities will help us to differentiate our offerings in Europe.
“We will be able to engage in IT transformation conversations with prospective customers early in the proposal stage, which we believe will help to strengthen our position and create demand for our network services in the region.”
Established in 2010 with headquarters in London, Company85 today has approximately 75 employees and provides services to leading UK-based business and government customers such as BBC, NHS, Royal Mail and London City Airport, and multinational corporations including AstraZeneca, J.P. Morgan and Roche.
Company85 CEO Adrian Spink said the combination of Telstra’s world class network and global reach, with Company85’s technical expertise and strong relationships with Chief Information Officers and Chief Information Security Officers at leading organisations, would create exciting growth opportunities.
“Being part of Telstra we see a tremendous opportunity to reach new customers and accelerate our international expansion,” he said.