Detron and 2e2 Netherlands have completed the acquisition of two units of 2e2 Netherlands, namely 2e2  Integration & Services and 2e2 Skilled Resources, by Detron, one of the larger Dutch independent business IT & telecom services to SMEs and mid-business market. Both parties are very happy and positive about the process and the final transaction.

CIC acted on behalf of the Detron ICT & Telecom Group, is co-initiator of this project and has successfully advised, brokered and assisted in the actual completion of the purchase / sale process. This is the third time since 2008 that CIC has realized a transaction with Detron.

The acquired business will be placed in the newly formed division Detron ICT Solutions, of which includes Detron subsidiary Kender Thijssen will also be part of.

Kender Thijssen Solutions NV, passes through a management buyout in Belgian hands. The transaction is financially supported by Stroke Fund. For the transaction ICT Fund NV was founded by the management of Kender Thijssen Solutions NV and Stroke Fund II. Stroke Fund is an independent investment company founded and supported by a group of Flemish successful managers and entrepreneurs from various industries.

There is a 'buy and build' strategy evoked with the intention to take over other companies or departments within companies, thus leading to upscale in a fragmented Belgian IT infrastructure market. The acquisition of Kender Thijssen is, in other words only the first step in an ambitious growth plan.

The acquisition of Qwise has given Vision IT Group foothold in the Netherland and the Benelux. The acquisition deal offers the opportunity for the new Vision eServices offerings to expand the company launched in 2009.

CIC searched and identified candidates on behalf of the shareholders of Qwise and advised until the actual completion of the purchase / sale process.

As not all our work relate directly to short term dealmaking, and market conditions were challenging last year, we delivered quite some work in:

• strategy consulting to companies that consider a sale
• advising and counseling of those who have given us sale mandates
• searches of suitable candidates for our anchor clients that look for value increase at a longer term
• post acquisition work ref settlement of earn-out targets, or claims mediation
• corporate finance activities for various clients advising and finding adequate acquisition financing, working capital and trade financing facilities.

CIC has successfully advised the share holders of SNE during the sale process with Distrilogie!

Distrilogie Group is continuing its drive for development through external growth and has acquired the Dutch company SNE, NetApp and CommVault distributor in the Netherlands.

After the successful integration of Numitor the NetApp distributor in Belgium and Luxembourg, Distrilogie is expanding its activities in The Netherland in the storage market, one of their core activities.

C-Logic is active in the market of adminstrative software for midsize and smaller enterprises like Unit4Agresso. Unit4Agresso wants to strengthen its existing market position in Belgium. Furthermore C-Logic has a strong position with Accountants in Belgium. Together with the international accountancy products of U4A in the Netherlands the Belgian market can be unlocked for these products.
CIC advised U4A as from the search until the closing of the process.

Detron is a strategic investor in telecom, media en IT and believes in the acceleration of the convergence of Telecom and IT. It has certain interests in both areas already
Kender Thijssen (KT) is a reputable, well known company in IT and telecom projects and managed services.

The activities of Detron and Kender Thijssen are complementary and strengthen each other. KT needed a new strategic direction, a new growth impulse and therefore also new management.CIC searched and identified candidates on behalf of Detron and advised in the acquisition process of KT.

Squire is a renowned specialist in the Netherlands in deploying and maintaining ICT infrastructures. Centralized server parks with the newest technologies of virtualization and storage, workspace automation are the focus areas of Squire. Since the company has reached a more mature state the founders/ managers were looking for a new strategic partner thus creating optimal conditions for the company, the management and the professionals to capitalize on the knowledge and client base of the company and insure sustained future growth.
The acquisition by Detron ICT & Telecom Group fits perfectly in Squires ambition to conquer a top position in managed services in the market of ICT services of midsized and larger companies.
CIC advised the share holders of Squire in the search and full process until completion.

Because of lack of synergies with the core business of the shareholders (DIT Group and Detron Corporation) we where asked to assist in divesting Systence B.V., a multi disciplinary industrial automation engineering company. We successfully closed the transaction with Aemstel Ventures, an entrepreneurial private equity boutique, which brought in management and new shared future vision.

Tisa is a group of companies with a proven track record in the Spanish market, focused on development, implementation and maintenance of integrated IT solutions (software + hardware) for specific sectors like restaurants, ware houses, supermarkets, drugstores, opticians, shops. As the main shareholder reached 'retirement' age and both within his family and in the company there was no successor, we advise him on a transaction with a strategic buyer. i68, also active in Spain in this sector, retained the organisation and also could bring a good new future for the employees.

ECgroup B.V. (NL) was incorporated in 2003 through the acquisition of the Dutch activities of ECsoft Ltd by Dawud Ventures (NL). After successfully restructuring and repositioning the company in 2004, in 2005 ECgroup B.V. optimized its business model and was prepared for an exit by Dawud Ventures. For Dawud Ventures we sold the company to Axioma Groep (NL, part of the Dutch listed company De Nederlandse Companie N.V.) which was ambitioned to further build up their IT activities in the Netherlands.

Ubizen N.V. (Belgium), part of Cybertrust Inc., offers managed- and professional services in the area of IT security solutions. As part of Ubizen, Expanded Media, with their e-business solutions offering, increasingly was a non fit with the core activities of the group. For Ubizen we successfully divested the company to Devoteam Group SA (FR). Devoteam was looking to complement their Belgium activities with e-business knowledge and strengthening their project oriented business.

CIC advised and brokered in the sale of the shares of Lopac B.V. to Unit4 Agresso. Lopac was for many years already active in this market as established party in the software market for Acountants for medium and small businesses who offer payroll services to their clients. Unit4 Agresso is the market leader in this segment in the Netherlands and looking for strengthening its market position. Owner Microloon Beheer had to make a choice to stay independent or to look for strategic partner and a trade sale.
CIC assisted Microloon Beheer in the decision making process, the search and the selection of the most appropriate candidate. That was U4A with whom negotiations were started and a win win situation could be created.

ISIT is an independent storage integrator with more than 15 years experience. Its specialty areas comprise network attached storage solutions, storage area networks, centralised back up/restore solutions and archiving. Under the ownership and leadership of Roelof Borggreve the company reached a top position in the Dutch storage solution market. We were requested to find the right strategic partner in order to further strengthen the market position of the company and insure continued growth.

Square Applications B.V. (NL) offers software for the automation of pay-per-use contract management and invoicing, with also modules for asset- and field service management. For major shareholder Gilde IT Fund II we looked for a strategic buyer. To sustain their position with clients in the area of infrastructure- and workspace management, Simac Techniek B.V. (NL) was looking to complement their offering with business software solutions.

With their group of companies MCA (Micro Computer Associates) focuses at software development for the higher educational market and public sector. To consolidate and strengthen their strong position in these areas the company was looking for an opportunity to become part of a larger player, active in software development. Driven by the increasing consolidation in the software sector Unit4Agresso was ambitioned to acquire a position in new markets in the UK. The existing activities of both U4A UK and MCA will be lined up after the acquisition to create immediate synergies on the short term.

Topficie was looking to increase their size of business to retain their current position with their major customer group, the financial sector. For Devoteam Group SA, a listed international operating French IT services provider, the Netherlands is considered as their `second` market. To strengthen the diminishing Dutch activities they were looking to do an acquisition to complement their portfolio of activities and also recruit strong management to up lift the operation in the Netherlands again. Part of the post merger plan will be the integration of both businesses, with the management of Topficie responsible for the combined operations.

Being part of ISIT Holding with its main activities around offering integrated storage solutions, CCG as a distributor initially strengthen the knowledge- and market position for ISIT. Because of the threat for increasing ´channel conflicts`, as ISIT offers its solutions direct to the end user, CCG was decide to be divested. Logix, as an internationally present value added distributor with already a small operation in the Netherlands, could strengthen their position with this acquisition both from a quantitative - as from a qualitative perspective with the specific value added knowledge of storage solutions available within CCG.

For a number of Benelux based ICT Companies we successfully assisted on their national and foreign acquisition program. We served Benelux based companies with foreign ambitions in France, Spain, Scandinavia, UK and Germany. Our role varied in defining together with the management the corporate strategy until executing the search and acquisition process.

Through our Quality Network we also are/were able to work for foreign ICT companies with ambitions in entering new Pan European markets. For example we succeeded for some French companies with ambitions for the Benelux market. We also assisted on the acquisition programs for Germany, UK and Scandinavia.

In this aspect amongst others we represented: