Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), the enormous American computer services group, is buying the British enterprise IT Anix for £31.5m ($50m) in cash.

ACS is merging Anix with its UK business and gains about 150 employees and operations in Bristol, London and Manchester, and data centers in London and Manchester. Anix turned over £44.7m ($71m) in the year to October 2008.

Announcing the deal today, ACS IT outsourcing chief Derrell James said the company continues to see "significant opportunity for IT outsourcing solutions in the UK. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to grow our business in the UK and continental Europe and provide our clients with IT services and solutions on a worldwide scale.”

Over the last 18 months, ACS has dipped its toe into Europe, by buying Syan Holdings, a mid-range IBM dealer, in the UK, and sds business services in Germany.

With the dollar and euro riding high against the pound, foreign groups are likely to at the forefront of UK channel M&A activity in coming months.

Anix is currently owned by the UK AIM-listed IT group Xploite. The acquisition is expected to close in June. ®