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Boxxe bolsters position with CAE buy
Channel consolidation continues with Cisco and Microsoft partner snapped up in the latest deal
Services and solutions provider Boxxe has acquired CAE Technology Services, in a move designed to bolster its position in the corporate market.
The deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, will see Boxxe pick up a Cisco tier one gold partner and Microsoft cloud solutions provider with an established reputation in the UK market.
When Boxxe picked up Total Computer Networks at the start of 2024, the firm’s CEO, Phil Doye, talked about the move strengthening its position through providing a broader portfolio of services, and the latest deal is much in the same light. The networking and security knowledge held by CAE and its established customer base across the private and public sectors, particularly healthcare and education, were a major attraction for Boxxe, which has been in growth mode since it was acquired by Doye back in 2019.
“I have followed CAE for many years, and continue to be impressed by the organisation’s market-leading practices in networking, security and cloud infrastructure,” he said. “CAE sets itself apart from the competition with its focus on customer outcomes driven by innovative solutions and managed services.
“CAE Labs is a great example of this, adding in-house software development capability to enable customers to further transform their IT environments,” said Doye. “Boxxe has to deliver technology solutions that solve critical business challenges and propel our customers forward.
“This strategic acquisition enables us to do this more effectively,” he added. “Boxxe’s scale, and broad portfolio of products and solutions, will also bring greater value and relevance to CAE’s many customers. The deal complements Boxxe’s acquisition of Total Computer Networks, which was completed in January 2024. It is part of a wider plan to grow Boxxe’s customer base in both the private and public sector and expand its solutions offerings.”
In response, Justin Harling, chief executive of CAE, said it was familiar with Doye, and looked to Boxxe to take the business forward. “We have known Phil since his time at Kelway, and once we had decided to sell the business, we approached Boxxe knowing that it would be a place where CAE could develop in this next chapter,” he said.
Networking and security expertise
Richard Behan, chief corporate development officer at CAE, echoed the positive prospects resulting from the tie-up, and the increased opportunities to pitch its networking and security expertise to a wider audience. “We have built a deep pool of technical talent and expertise at CAE, and we look forward to delivering enhanced value through our solutions and services to Boxxe’s many customers,” he said.
The plan is for CAE Technology Services to trade independently before being integrated into Boxxe over the coming 12 months.
Harling has resigned from Caerus Assets Limited and all of its subsidiaries. Doye will become group CEO and Hazel Sagar will be group chief financial officer.
This marks the second piece of channel acquisition news this week, following Advania’s move for The AI Factory, and builds on several deals struck across the industry in H1 2025 as channel players use M&A to bolster skills and services, as well as widen geographic and customer reach.
