OCSL becomes Cancom's UK hub

One of the last times that the name Cancom echoed around the UK channel was when Trams acquired its UK operation back in 2012 and for a few years the focus shifted elsewhere.

Since then the firm has largely concentrated on its native German market but that is changing with a concerted push into the UK this year. The cloud and managed services specialist has announced the acquisition of Microsoft and HPE specialist OCSL.

The deal to buy OCSL follows hot on the heels of the move in March to buy UCC and managed services player Ocean Intelligent Communications.

OCSL will act as the hub for future Cancom Group UK activities and gives a platform to provide managed services to more international clients. The firm is listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange and reports revenues of  €1bn.

“Our aim is to expand our cloud and managed services business and this requires international structures," said Thomas Volk, President and General Manager of Cancom SE.

"The close cooperation of both new British members of the Cancom family together with the total Group, not only offers numerous opportunities in the UK, like introducing existing and potential clients to our IT infrastructure management software AHP. It also allows us to build a UK-based hub to serve international clients even better than today and it intensifies Cancom’s transformation towards becoming an international company," he added.

OCSL has been running since the 1990s and the West Sussex-based business has more than 200 employees and generated revenues of around £70m in the last full financial year.

“OCSL has been on a journey to become a more services and cloud centric business. Becoming part of the CANCOM family, will accelerate that future for us. I feel we share a good cultural fit and this bodes well for a very exciting future," said Tim Thrower, founder of OCSL.