International facilities management provider Servest has partnered with Bottega InvestCo, in the acquisition of integrated ICT services company Getronics.
The transaction, supported by Investec, will enable Servest to play a leading role in the workplace technology market and provide a seamless FM and mobile technology offering. It comes at a time when workplace management is increasingly focused on digital transformation through the development of smart buildings and the Internet of Things.
With operations in 22 countries and covering more than 100, Getronics provides a portfolio of integrated ICT services including solutions focused on Workspace Management, Managed Cloud, Unified Communications and Collaboration, and Network and Applications for large corporates and the public sector. It has in-depth experience in application and solutions development and provides FM-specific products in the corporate, healthcare, and transport sectors among others.
In addition, Getronics has five global multi-language service centres that will support Servest’s expansion across Europe and Asia by providing help desk solutions which offer insight on customer satisfaction, churn rates, service issues, and contractor performance, integrating different communication technologies such as instant messaging, chat, telephone and email. This will enable Servest to reduce help desk demand, expand contact service hours and improve service delivery time.
“This transaction will allow Servest to lead the way in bringing smart building technology and the Internet of Things to our FM customers globally. While other FM companies have formed partnerships with ICT providers, the Getronics acquisition will ensure that our joint offering to our customers is seamless,” said Rob Legge, Group CEO at Servest.
Nana Baffour, who led the transaction on behalf of Bottega InvestCo and is also a majority shareholder of Bottega and President and CEO of Grupo Cimcorp, said: “The transaction brings together the ICT experience of Grupo Cimcorp and Getronics with the leadership of Servest in the facilities management sector. It will enable the creation of innovative technology-based FM solutions and will allow the growth of a truly global customer base. It is a unique opportunity to bring value to the market.”