Transcend United Technologies will merge with LiquidSpoke, a fellow unified communications-focused solution provider. The combined entity will be one of the largest networking and UC-focused VARs in the country, and according to Transcend United, significantly bolsters both its presence in the Northeastern U.S. and its managed services practice.
The deal was announced this week, and financial terms were not disclosed. Transcend United, based in Springfield, Pa., was ranked No. 455 in the CRN 2010 VAR 500 listing, and focuses on UC, network infrastructure, data center optimization and backup and recovery solutions to the midmarket.
Six-year-old LiquidSpoke, based in Wayne, Pa., has been a member of CRN's Fast Growth 100, ranked No. 46 in 2010. Once combined, Transcend United and LiquidSpoke will be able to offer service desk solutions, IP telephony, UC, wireless, WAN optimization, videoconferencing, backup and recovery and services from a 24/7 network operations center, with vendor relationships that span Cisco, Avaya, Nortel, ShoreTel, Riverbed, LifeSize Communications and several others.
"LIke Transcend United, LiquidSpoke has an outstanding reputation for management expertise and world class customer satisfaction, and it has a strong footprint within the northeast region with mid-sized enterprise focus," said Rick Hirsh, CEO of Transcend United, in a statement. "Both companies' customers benefit significantly with our extended expertise in voice, data, video and managed services."
All of LiquidSpoke's principals and its executive management team are joining Transcend United in "key roles," though the companies did not say what their specific jobs would be. Transcend United is planning to relocate its headquarters and Pennsylvania sales operations to LiquidSpoke's current headquarters in Wayne, Pa.
"We share the same passion for delivering high-levels of technical expertise with world-class customer service," said Richard Tarity, LiquidSpoke president and CEO, in a statement. "As a result of this merger and combined platforms, our customers will realize broader service programs and the results will be mutually beneficial."
Transcend United has been an active participant in the recent wave of M&A activity sweeping the networking, infrastructure and UC channels. In November 2010, Transcend merged with Minneapolis-based Spectrum Solutions, and Transcend United itself was created in February 2010 from the late 2009 merger of Fastech Integrated Solutions, Aserdiv Inc., Ixillix and Transcend Communications.
