Affiliated Computer Services Buys Livebridge

Affiliated Computer Services (No. 17 on the 2005 VARBusiness 500) has purchased LiveBridge, a customer-care service provider that focuses on the financial and telecommunication verticals, for $32 million in cash plus contingent payments based on financial performances down the line.

The deal enables the Dallas-based business-process outsourcing (BPO) giant to add operations centers in Canada, India and Argentina, says a company spokesman. ACS will also seek to grow BPO activity in these markets. Lynn Blodgett, group president of ACS Commercial Solutions, said in a statement that the LiveBridge deal brings access to some new Fortune 500 clients to which ACS's customized solutions can now be offered.

Created in 1988 and located in Portland, LiveBridge offers inbound and outbound calling and customer-care services. It posted 2004 sales of $89.6 milion, a gain of 19 percent over the previous year. It has more than 3,000 employees, which will be added to ACS's 50,000 workers.