Acquisitions
Despite a series of crisis situations on the global market, Unica continues to operate an ambitious Mergers & Acquisitions agenda, with the targeted acquisition of solidly performing companies. The focus remains on expanding the regional presence and reinforcing the specialisations. Another key element in assessing any acquisition candidate is the company culture: a company that is absorbed into the Unica network must match the business model of the group of companies. A key element of that match is a sound cultural fit.
Two leading companies were added to the Unica network in 2022. April saw the acquisition of EAL, a market leader in the Netherlands in the development and implementation of security management and access control systems. In its 50-year history, EAL has grown into one of the most experienced companies in the development of hardware and software in this field. EAL has been added to the Unica Access & Security cluster, that brings together services in the field of access management and security. Nsecure (market leader in high-end security environments), Unica Smart Security (management and maintenance) and Unica Special Security Solutions (projects at maximum security locations) are already active within this cluster. The addition of EAL means that Unica Access & Security is the first player in the Netherlands capable of developing, installing, managing and maintaining complete access control and security systems. EAL’s focus on Research & Development (R&D) will also deliver a technological boost for the Unica Access & Security cluster.
May 2022 was marked by the acquisition of Working Spirit. This Deventer-based IT secondment service, founded in 2003, has grown to become a key player on the national market for ICT secondment services, with more than 150 IT specialists. The company has been integrated within Unica ICT Solutions, an all-round ICT services cluster that already had a workforce of 250. The expertise and capacity of Working Spirit represent a major expansion of the knowledge within this cluster. Until now, the supply and implementation of ICT environments was only offered on a project basis, supported with management and maintenance from a professionally managed services organisation. The acquisition of Working Spirit means that Unica ICT Solutions can now offer those same solutions as a secondment service. Working Spirit’s own successful Academy also offers a tried and tested approach for managing staff shortages in the ICT sector.