Advania UK Gobbles Up IT Services Rival CCS Media

Exclusive The consolidation of the British tech services market is continuing with Advania UK's acquisition of CCS Media.

CCS Media is a value-added reseller (VAR) with a customer base spanning the public and private sectors. According to accounts filed with Companies House, the company recorded a turnover of £277 million ($362 million) in 2023, almost flat compared to the previous year. It did, however, increase its profit to £52 million ($68 million) from £48 million ($63 million).

It's a step up from Advania UK's acquisition of Servium in June 2024. Servium's turnover for the year ended December 2022 was just over £30 million ($40 million).

Geoff Kneen, Advania UK CEO, described the deal as "a game-changer," saying: "We are now capable of offering unparalleled choice, and deep experience when it comes to identifying, procuring, implementing, and supporting the right technology solutions for our customers."

While Advania UK might be capable of offering more choice, the purchase of CCS Media will remove a potential competitor. CCS Media has notched up plenty of public sector wins over the years. This year's include contracts for computer equipment and supplies for the City of Sunderland College and Microsoft licenses for HEART Academies Trust.

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That Microsoft connection is important. Terry Betts, CCS Media CEO, said: "The extensive capability of the combined business, and particularly Advania UK's class leading partnership with Microsoft, will enable us to address a broader range of customer needs from devices and infrastructure, to strategy, cloud transformation, AI, and managed services."

Advania UK has what it describes as "a significant partnership" with Microsoft. Kneen was originally Group Managing Director of Content+Cloud, a Microsoft services provider, before the Advania Group purchased the company in 2021 and rebranded it as Advania UK at the end of 2023.

The value of the deal was not disclosed, although it is expected to complete during the fourth quarter of 2024 and will result in Advania acquiring 100 percent of the shares in CCS Media from management and employees. Advania said: "CCS Media existing customers will benefit from Advania's extensive portfolio of Microsoft-centric technology and digital transformation services including Public and Hybrid Cloud, Data, Analytics & AI, Security, Modern Work, Unified Communications, and Business Applications." ®