The acquisition of Montreal-based Versus by Fusepoint Managed Services is a “perfect marriage” that will let Fusepoint to take a dominant position in Quebec’s IT managed services and outsourcing market, according to the company.
“Quebec is the second-largest economy and market (in Canada) and in terms of business a very large market for our services,” said Robert Offley, president and CEO of Fusepoint in Toronto. “We believe it is important that we build up our operations in that region.”
Offley adds that Versus, with its range of application management and outsourcing services, would round out Fusepoint’s own set of services and allow the company to offer a wider range of solutions and managed services to clients. Currently, Fusepoint offers such managed services as facilities and network management, backup and storage management, security and business continuity management and application management.
“(This acquisition) allows us to offer a true end-to-end set of management, service and development solutions,” Offley said.
Versus was founded in 1990, providing turnkey Internet-based solutions, including facilities management and hosting. Versus’ clients include Bombardier, Telefilm Canada, CMT, Cognicase and Canadian Food Service Executives Association. In June, Versus signed a $2 million contract with Transat A.T. Inc., to handle and manage all aspects of the company’s IT infrastructure and applications involved in the airline’s virtual travel agency exitnow.ca. Exitnow.ca handles some one million visits a month.
Christine Beaubien, president and CEO of Versus in Montreal says the acquisition will help the company better meet the growing demand in Quebec for outsourced and managed solutions, and meet the aggressive growth strategy the company has undertaken. Profit 100’s annual report recently ranked Versus as one of Canada’s fastest growing companies.
“We wanted to grow faster and to take a better position in the managed hosting and IT outsourcing business in Quebec,” Beaubien said. “That was one of the reason we went with this transaction. We are also two very complimentary companies with similar skills.”
According to both Beaubien and Offley, Versus will continue to operate under its own name and to be headquartered in Montreal and Quebec City. In fact, Offley says Fusepoint will grow both Quebec offices and will begin supporting Versus’ hosting services and solutions through its established data centres. As well, Fusepoint will promote Versus as an end-to-end managed solutions company in Quebec.