Big U.S. VAR acquires top Canadian Microsoft solution provider

Washington, D.C.-based New Signature, a solution provider that captured Microsoft’s 2014 American Partner of the Year award, has acquired Toronto-based CMS Consulting Inc. along with its sister company Infrastructure Guardian.

As a result New Signature will operate as New Signature Canada with Brian Bourne running the company as President. Bourne is a well-known solution provider executive in Canada captured multiple CDN Channel Elite Awards.

New Signature labels itself as a Microsoft specific national solution provider. The company has locations in 14 U.S. states. CMS and Infrastructure Guardian, which just began its business life this year, is part of New Signature’s aggressive strategic expansion plans. CMS compliments New Signature Azure practice and next-generation IT infrastructure.

Bourne said in a blog post that this deal will help customers transform business with Azure and other Microsoft infrastructure solutions with the full stack of Microsoft technology.

“Cloud computing has gained a lot of ground in in recent years. Discussions about the benefits of enterprise cloud solutions used to oscillate wildly between hype and hesitation. Now they have become serious ROI conversations. We are at a stage where there’s no doubt that cloud has arrived in the enterprise, and usage is only going up from here, with many new scenarios and options becoming rapidly available. Just take Microsoft’s Azure platform – the pace of new features being added is mind-blowing.  We are talking updates within days or weeks, not years,” Bourne added.

New Signature is backed by a $35 million funding commitment from Columbia Capital.

Bourne said that the more he spoke with New Signature CEO Jeff Tench, chairman Neil Hobbs, and founder and president Christopher Hertz, the more it became clear that the four we share the same vision, values and focus.

“This is extremely important to me because it’s not just CMS and Infrastructure Guardian executives becoming part of New Signature, our whole team is coming with us. I couldn’t be more excited about the deal.”

Tench joined New Signature as CEO approximately six weeks ago. He said the company has taken a major step ahead in its mission to make New Signature the premier partner for Microsoft customers in North America with the acquisition of CMS and Infrastructure Guardian.

The acquisition of CMS and Infrastructure Guardian continues a trend in the Canadian channel community of solution provider acquisitions.

It all got started with SoftwareOne and CompuCom agreed to a deal that will see the Berlin, WI.-based direct market reseller acquire the software licensing business of CompuCom.

CompuCom is based in Dallas but has Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ont. Last year CompuCom Canada was the No. 4 ranked solution provider on the CDN Top 100 list with revenues between $400 to $450 million. Then Insite Computer Group Inc. mergered with Edmonton-based F12 Networks Inc.

Internet service provider TeraGo Networks Inc. has announced its purchase of Kelowna, B.C.-based cloud provider RackForce for $33 million. The ink on the TeraGo/RackForce deal wasn’t dry yet when consulting, cloud solutions, and managed services provider IT Weapons Inc.announced its acquisition of fellow solution provider Collins IT.

Just a few months ago Markham, Ont.-based IT provider BDO Solutions announced another merger. This one is with another devoted Microsoft solution provider Systemgroup Inc. of Toronto.

Almost lost in all this merger and acquisition activity is PCM, Inc.’s deal. PCM is better known as PC Mall of El Segundo, Calif., and it forged a pact to acquire the assets of En Pointe Technologies Inc., a solutions provider based in Gardena, Calif., for $15 million.

And it all got started early this year with four Toronto-based solution providers getting together: Data Integrity Inc. mergering with The Skipton Group and Quartet Service Inc. with En Vogue Computers.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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Paolo Del Nibletto
Paolo Del Nibletto
Former editor of Computer Dealer News, covering Canada's IT channel community.

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