A BUSINESS phone systems provider has made the first acquisition in its 23-year history.

Bournemouth-based 4Com acquired the Midlands-based Midshire Teleocm, which supplies office phone systems, business grade broadband and mobile services.

The deal will see 4Com deliver new products and services including managed IT and office WiFi to its customers as well as introducing its products to Midshire’s customers.

Midshire Telecom will retain its brand and operate as part of the 4Com Group.

Roger Bailey, partner in the corporate team at Moore Barlow, which advised 4Com on the deal, said: “4Com and Midshire already offer SMEs first-class IT and telecoms solutions, so the acquisition is a perfect marriage, bringing an even more expansive offering under one roof that will add value for both company’s customers.

“Midshire Telecom will benefit immensely from the scale that 4Com’s nationwide network of customers offers and means more SMEs across the UK will get access to an impressive suite of IT services, from maintenance to security.”

4Com chief executive Gary Scutt, said: “Midshire Telecom has a well-earnt reputation in the industry. The team bring additional expertise in fields such as managed IT services and office WiFi solutions, which we’re excited to be able to offer to our existing customers, while also introducing our own solutions to their customer base.

“As our first ever acquisition, this is a huge milestone for us and it was incredibly important we got it right. It was essential to have a partner we knew we could trust. Moore Barlow supported us throughout the process and ensured we had everything necessary to make the transition as smooth as possible for both sides of the acquisition.”