The deal is seen as a step towards driving innovation in the unified collaboration market
Russell Kennedy has advised on the acquisition of a unified communications (UC) services company in a deal touted to facilitate innovation in the unified collaboration market.
The mid-tier firm advised on the acquisition of UC managed services business Vantage Systems Pty Ltd by Midwich Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of global specialist audio visual (AV) distributor Midwich Group Plc.
The transaction involved the sale of the trade and assets associated with Vantage Systems’ services business, which will allow Midwich to enhance its product and technology portfolio. The Midwich MiSupport service will be consolidated with the vCare Maintenance program as part of the acquisition, improving resolution time and maximising Midwich’s availability to customers.
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“Through the acquisition of Vantage Systems, Midwich can address the demand for unified collaboration, which requires an immediacy and continuation of service to ensure true global interaction and a positive user experience,” said Midwich Australia managing director Michael Broadbent.
Vantage Systems, which was founded in 1995 and is based in Melbourne, indicated their eagerness to work with Midwich Group in order to “capture the next phase of leadership and growth, while driving continued innovation in the UC and AV markets.”
“This marks a huge milestone in Vantage’s history and will help fuel our progression in delivering cloud and managed services as we look to expand into new markets and continue our growth trajectory,” said Vantage Systems managing director Mark Buckley.
Russell Kennedy’s M&A team advised Midwich Australia on all legal aspects of the acquisition process. The team was led by Rory Maguire, special counsel, and consisted of corporate advisory/M&A associate Ellen O’ Neil and lawyer Mary-Anne Flores; employment team principal Libby Pallot and senior associate Abbey Burns; intellectual property team principal Andrew Chalet and lawyer Stephanie McHugh; and property team senior associate Caroline Snaidr.
“This transaction further enhances Midwich’s offering in the unified collaboration market and represents another exciting expansion of the company’s global presence,” Maguire said.
Russell Kennedy said that William Buck also served as the tax advisor to Midwich, while Axial Advisory served as Vantage Systems’s legal advisor.
In December 2018, Russell Kennedy had also advised the founders of Blonde Robot Pty Ltd during its acquisition by Midwich.