French distie acquires WhiteGold...

Pan-EMEA specialist distributor Exclusive Networks has acquired WhiteGold Solutions for an undisclosed sum.

The Paris-based company has taken a 70% stake in WhiteGold, whose offices include one in Auckland headed up by Richard Crabb.

The deal is Exclusive Network’s first acquisition outside EMEA and the company says it signals its ‘new long-term strategy to expand operations throughout the Asia Pacific market’.

“Australia and now New Zealand are among very few of the world’s developed economies to have shown growth during the global downturn, and IT is a major sector with IT spending forecast to reach €34 billion by 2016,” says Olivier Breittmayer Exclusive Networks Group CEO.

“There is a significant opportunity for us to invest on behalf of our partners and become more influential in more markets,” he adds.

“WhiteGold Solutions is a very successful and well-managed business growing at around 60% each year and ideally placed to become our gateway for expanding operations throughout the wider region.

“Its business is grounded in a remarkably familiar business philosophy, echoing many of the approaches to marketing and technical support that form our blueprint for true value-added distribution for disruptive technology vendors.”

Exclusive Networks dubs itself a ‘superVAD that de-risks accelerated market entry and growth for innovative security, networking and infrastructure technology vendors’.

Its Pan-EMEA portfolio includes A10 Networks, Aerohive, Arbor, FireEye, Fortinet Imperva, LogRhythm, MobileIron, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, Proofpoint, Silver Peak, Sophos, Vidyo and Zscaler.

The distributor, which employs more than 400 staff across 20 countries, says the acquisition is a significant milestone in expansion towards its target of €1 billion revenue by 2017.

“This is great news for the partners and people associated with WhiteGold Solutions, and we’re looking forward to playing our part in the next chapter of Exclusive Networks’ global expansion,” said Dominic Whitehand, WhiteGold Solutions managing director.

“WhiteGold is extremely proud of our heritage in pioneering the unified value distribution model in ANZ, and validating it with incredible success for our vendors and partners alike.

“In looking to expand both locally and into the wider APAC region, the business sought a partner that would give us stability, increased relevance with vendors and partners on a global scale, and continuing autonomy in managing and running our operation in ANZ.