An Ottawa-based firm with designs on becoming North America’s leading provider of managed IT services has pulled the trigger on another acquisition in pursuit of that goal.
Fully Managed said Monday it’s purchased Ook Enterprises, a Vancouver-based company that provides managed IT services to small and medium-sized businesses. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The deal marks Fully Managed’s first M&A play since the Ottawa firm was acquired by Telus for $137 million earlier this year.
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Before that transaction, Fully Managed was on the other side of the table in a string of deals. Ook is the sixth company Fully Managed has acquired in the past six years, a stretch that saw the Ottawa firm grow to more than 400 employees who now serve in excess of 2,000 customers across North America.
Founded in 2006, Ook has about half a dozen employees. The firm – which provides tech support and strategic planning and specializes in support for Apple, Google Workspace, Microsoft and Linux products – has appeared on both the Globe and Mail and Canadian Business’s list of Canada’s fastest-growing companies.
Talented staff
In a statement, Fully Managed said it has “been aware of Ook’s talents for many years,” particularly its work with Apple and Google platforms.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ook and its customers to Fully Managed and Telus Business Solutions,” Fully Managed president Mark Scott said in a news release. “Ook’s expertise and standard of excellence will contribute to our success and help us offer a greater service experience to our customers across North America.”
Ook founders Simon Richardson, Mike McLean and Luis Giraldo are joining Fully Managed executive suite as part of the deal.
“We are looking forward to joining the team at Fully Managed and Telus Business Solutions,” Giraldo, who served as Ook’s CEO, said in a statement. “We’ve always been committed to helping small and medium businesses rediscover the magic of technology. This gives us the opportunity to take that vision even further.”
Launched 16 years ago, Fully Managed uses cloud-based software and remote network monitoring technology to assist customers without requiring support workers to be physically on site. It also has a senior care division that provides IT solutions for that sector.