FluidOne has strengthened its Connected Cloud offering with a strategic investment in Marathon Information Technology Services Ltd (Marathon), a Microsoft Gold Partner for cloud services management.
Specialising in cloud transformation, modern workplace, security and contact centre, Marathon was founded in 2010 by CTO Paul Hepburn. In 2020, CEO
Iain Maclean and Chairman Tim Thrower invested via a management buy-in as they realised the business was a great platform to build out cloud-managed IT services to enterprise clients.
Since then, Marathon has grown annual revenue from £4m to £11m and increased its headcount to 80 staff, delivering IT managed services to enterprise clients with up to 17,000 employees.
The investment by FluidOne, a provider of connectivity, SD-WAN, cyber security, IT managed services, mobile, IoT, UCaaS and CCaaS, broadens Marathon’s offering to its own clients and gives it the opportunity to provide managed services to FluidOne customers with more than 200 employees.
FluidOne’s investment in Marathon is part of the company’s on-going buy and build strategy that has so far created a £68m revenue group with 310 staff serving more than 1,350 customers and resellers.
It follows the acquisitions of managed SD-WAN network provider SAS Global
Communications in December 2021 and IT Managed Services and Unified Communications provider PSU Business Technology Limited (PSU) in October 2020 and investment in cyber security consultancy and managed services specialist Cyber Security Associates Ltd (CSA) in November 2020.
Maclean will continue to lead Marathon as CEO, with Tim Thrower as a non-executive director. FluidOne CEO Russell Horton is to become Chairman of Marathon, with the FluidOne Directors Brendan Lynch, Chris Rogers and Roy Hastings also joining the Marathon Board.
Russell Horton said: “Investing in Marathon allows us to complete the IT element of our Connected Cloud solutions portfolio alongside our market-leading connectivity, mobile, UCaaS and cyber security. When combined with our IT capabilities from the acquisitions of PSU and SAS Global, we are now able to serve our entire customer base, including our largest multinational customers.”
Marathon CEO Iain Maclean added: “It was time for us to take things to the
next stage. We saw a great opportunity in FluidOne’s investment to support our ambitious growth plans allowing us to expand our service offering to our current client base whilst also reaching new customers.”
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