Avnet to gobble up Acal

Eyes up EMEA market

By Kelly Fiveash • Get more from this author

Posted in IT Channel, 27th September 2007 11:01 GMT

Electronics distie Avnet said today that it will acquire the IT solutions arm of Storage Area Networking (SAN) reseller Acal plc for a cash consideration of £41m.

The firm said it has reached a "definitive agreement" with Acal, which punts products that include Cisco, Brocade, Qlogic, and Kodak to the European market.

Once the deal – which is subject to approval by Acal shareholders and EU merger control clearance – closes, 180 Acal staff will be integrated into Avnet's technology solutions EMEA division.

Acal chairman Richard Moon said: "Following a strategic review last year the board of Acal plc has concluded that the development of its IT solutions business would be best served as a part of a larger organisation with an international reach."

Throwing its pan-European net wide, Avnet announced earlier this week that it had also agreed to buy Berlin-based components distie Betronik GmbH for an undisclosed sum. ®

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