Northern Ireland’s Xperience to expand in UK after snapping up IT firm

26 Oct 2021

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The deal comes just a few months after managed IT services provider Xperience said it would invest £1.5m and expand its team in Lisburn.

Northern Ireland IT business Xperience has acquired Suffolk-based IT services company Green Duck in an effort to expand its UK customer base. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition will see Green Duck trade under Xperience’s brand and the combined company will serve around 1,100 SME clients across the UK and Ireland.

According to Xperience CEO Iain O’Kane, growth across the UK is a “strategic priority” for the business. He said that Green Duck is a “natural fit” and the Suffolk-headquartered cybersecurity and managed IT services provider will complement Xperience’s own offerings in cloud computing, managed services, enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management.

“With the advent of hybrid working and the ever-changing cyberthreat landscape, the acquisition of Green Duck provides Xperience with the opportunity to expand significantly in this area,” he added.

With the addition of Green Duck, the company’s headcount will grow to 123 people with an annual turnover of approximately £16m. Xperience already has offices in Lisburn, Peterborough and Glasgow.

The company recently invested £1.5m at its Lisburn location, creating 16 new jobs in IT and sales. The investment was part of the company’s plan to develop a new IT service platform for the construction market.

“As part of Xperience, Green Duck will be able to access investment, a broader range of technical services, our dedicated cloud service, plus a business that serves both the UK and Ireland,” O’Kane said.

Rod Jackson, CEO of Green Duck, echoed O’Kane’s comments. “As part of Xperience, our clients will continue to benefit from the services of Green Duck and have access to a broader range of resources plus the ability to support clients’ needs across the UK,” he said.

Jackson will be joining will be joining the Xperience senior leadership team as cloud and managed IT operations director. Green Duck’s CTO, Mat Green, will be joining the company’s leadership team as cloud and managed IT technical director.

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Blathnaid O’Dea is Careers reporter at Silicon Republic

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