(5 votes, average: 4.6 out of 10)
Loading ...Metafore to buy Xwave? Anything is possible
This is the type of story that just will not go away despite the denials from Xwave.
In the middle of last week one of my trusted sources told me that MetaFore was acquiring Xwave.
I called Xwave’s director of communications Karen Ewing, who after some checking, said to CDN that it was not happening nor were their any discussions. Ewing then posed a question to me: Why would Xwave sell when they have 19 per cent growth?
A good question.
Then on Sunday an insider at Xwave told me that the company is all a buzz with anticipation of being acquired by MetaFore.
So this morning I again called Ewing, who again denied that anything is happening. I have also placed a call to MetaFore CEO Bryant Jackson for his comments.
On the surface I can’t see why MetaFore could buy Xwave. After some research I think MetaFore can make this deal happen.
MetaFore is No. 5 on CDN’s Top 100 list at $250 million to $300 million. Xwave is No. 4 with the virtual the same amount of revenue. MetaFore can afford Xwave more than likely on its own. If you factor in Hartco, which owns MetaFore along with MicroAge, MicroServ and NorthWest Digital then they would have plenty of cash to make this type of a deal.
This still does not answer Ewing’s question on why Xwave should sell when they are so profitable.
I can only venture a guess. Xwave is a division of Bell Aliant, which is a company made up of regional telco providers such as NorthernTel, Telebec, and KMTS. Xwave isn’t exactly a regional telco provider. And, the best time to sell an asset is when it is at its most profitable so that the seller can maximize the most from that asset.
There is another reason. According to Janet Waxman of IDC, VARs are acquiring other VARs and this trend will not decline. The market is consolidating because customers are demanding more integrated solutions. These mergers and acquisitions will alter the very fabric of what the channel is, she wrote.
A merger or acquisition between Xwave and MetaFore would do exactly that. If this deal were to happen then a combination of MetaFore and Xwave would rival SoftChoice as a $400 million player at the very least.
To reiterate this is all speculation. Nothing has been officially confirmed by either party. CDN will be tracking this story and providing it to you when or if it ever breaks.
Three quick hits before I go. Sorry for not blogging more regularly. I have been off. But I am back and ready to inform you on many topics concerning the channel.
My first quick hit involves that Xbox tester who exposed the poor manufacturing in the product. Well he lost his job. Robert Delaware worked officially for Excell Data, a temp agency as a tester, but he was told of his fate by his Microsoft manager.
David King is joining Acision as COO from UTStarcom.
And, Honeywell’s channel chief Martin Kirmis has lef the company to become the European sales director of BlueStar, a POS and RFID distributor.
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(3 votes, average: 8.33 out of 10) Loading ...Another departure at Ingram Micro Canada?
In what will be viewed by many in the channel as a shock, long time Ingram Micro Canada executive
Mike Gazdic has been given his walking papers by the distributor, according to one outside source with knowledge of the situation.
CDN has been unable to get confirmation of Gazdic’s departure from the distributor. Ingram Micro Canada’s media relations staff told CDN that they can neither confirm nor deny that this move was made by the subsidiary. A press release will be issued tomorrow to address this situation, and CDN has been promised a copy.
A call has been placed to Mark Snider, the GM of Ingram Micro, to get his comments on the matter.
To say that Gazdic was well liked in the industry and channel community is an understatement. I would go as far as to say he was adored. Mike made time for everybody. Every vendor and every solution provider that mattered in the Canadian IT industry knew of Mike and the great work he had done for them.
For him, it was all about building relationships, and through these partnerships he was able to grow Ingram Micro Canada’s business greatly along with vendor business and channel business — the holy trifecta of business success.
Gazdic epitomized hard work, family values and friendships. His approach was based on the team concept he learned from playing hockey. Gazdic, as they say, had a cup of coffee in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, but his real success came in the channel.
His former boss Martin Kalsbeek, when told of the situation, said it was too bad and that Gazdic will clearly land on his feet because of all of the great friendships he has.
I too am very sad to see him leave Ingram Canada, if that is the case. Gazdic always had time for CDN. Whenever I saw Mike he always had a big smile on his face. He always enjoyed talking about his kids and would always ask about mine. He loved talking about hockey, but he also has a passion for this industry.
I know he will land a new job. I have no doubt about that, but I hope it is with a distributor because Gazdic is excellent at conveying vendor messages.
Whatever the news is tomorrow I wish Mike the best of luck.
A lot of quick hits before I go:
Jeannine Edwards is joining ConnectWise as director of business services.
Former Cisco executive Reza Mahdavi will now be the president of Ipanema Technologies.
And Altair Engineering Inc. appointed Jean-Pierre Roux as president of Altair Canada. Roux replaces Robert Little who became the president of SolidThinking Inc.
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(4 votes, average: 7 out of 10) Loading ...Local reseller event hits a high note
The other day I attended the KLM Solutions open house in Toronto and I am glad I did. I always enjoy being with channel partners. I know I sound like a broken record, but I believe these people provide amazing value to the computer industry and the Canadian economy.
KLM is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has moved into a bigger facility in the southern part of Toronto.
This company listed as the No. 96 solution provider in the CDN Top 100 list is doing everything right in my opinion.
Just one look at its client base and it tells the whole story. KLM has developed business solving solutions for the Barrie Police Force, Harequin Enterprises, Hydro One Brampton, Legal Aid Ontario, Nike Canada, North Bay Police, the Ontario Bar Association, Rogers Communications, Suzuki Canada and World Vision Canada.
This is the third time KLM has upgraded its facilities and the new office will have a green touch to it. It will also have virtualization, a testing lab, and a lock down room for customer computing care and monitoring. It is all part of an investment phase for the solution provider.
KLM has also been smart to realize they need to specialize. The company has focused its vendor partnerships on just a few: Microsoft, Cisco, HP, IBM and Panasonic.
It is this hyper-focus that has enabled the company to win awards such as the Microsoft Impact and the Ingram Micro VTN Top Sales award.
CDN wants to congratulate KLM on 20 great years in the channel.
One quick hit before I go. AMD today promoted AMD senior vice president Gustavo Arenas to AMD chief sales officier. Arenas reports now to the office of the CEO.
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(7 votes, average: 8 out of 10) Loading ...Canadian success can’t happen without local leadership
Bruno Pupo’s exit as area director for NEC Display Solutions in Canada is unfortunate for Pupo individually and for NEC in the Canadian market.
Pupo’s job with the Canadian subsidiary was eliminated by the Itasca, Ill.-based American parent company as NEC goes through a re-organization. Pupo, who dedicated more than 18-years of his career to NEC, was an area director who lost his job.
Likewise long-time channel executive Alex Nobile is looking for gainful employment after 20 years spent in the IT business. Nobile had left his job at Synnex Canada to become NComputing’s country manager. NComputing was named a vendor to watch by CDN in 2007. But after eight months of excellent growth, NComputing management decided to eliminate the country manager position and handle Canadian business out of the U.S. Read the rest of this entry »
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(3 votes, average: 5 out of 10) Loading ...Tech Data Canada’s great year
The news that Tech Data Canada had its best year ever in the Rick Reid era is surprising considering the NexInnovations meltdown.
The Mississauga, Ont.-based distributor took a financial and public hit as a result of the high-profile reseller going out of business.
But, in the end, there wasn’t much of a dent made to its bottom line and you have to credit the executive team at Tech Data Canada for moving swiftly in the aftermath of the NexInnovations demise. Read the rest of this entry »
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