Xerox Buys British Firm To Boost European SMB Business

‘Our apps have been more popular in the SMB space and more Xerox units being sold to more SMBs provides even more opportunities for our apps,’ says Xerox Accredited Master Elite MPS Partner Josh Justice.

Xerox has acquired SMB-focused solution provider Arena Group in a move that one U.S. reseller said is poised to help his business.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Uxbridge, U.K.-based Arena Group is one of the “leading providers of office technology, software, and services solutions in the U.K.,” Xerox said in a press release. With the deal, Xerox is hoping to move deeper into European markets, the company said. The acquisition received approval from government regulators.

One U.S. partner who has app distribution deals with companies in Europe said as Xerox a certified app developer, he sells them globally through the company’s app gallery, as well as other distribution services.

“We have thousands of apps installed in Europe that improve workflows and increase efficiency,” said Xerox Accredited Master Elite MPS Partner Josh Justice. “Our apps have been more popular in the SMB space and more Xerox units being sold to more SMBs provides even more opportunities for our apps.”

Word of the acquisition comes as Xerox remains in the hunt to buy the much larger Hewlett Packard. Those two companies remain at odds on the best path forward, with HP rejecting Xerox $22 a share offer, and Xerox submitting a ballot to elect a new, independent slate of directors at HP’s next shareholder meeting.

Norwalk, Conn.-based Xerox did not respond to a request for comment. In prepared remarks, the company said the deal is designed to capture SMB spending in Europe as the company has done in the U.S.

“Building on our success in the small and midsize business market in the U.S., we’re now expanding our strategy to Europe,” said Hervé Tessler, president of EMEA Operations, Xerox, in a statement. “With the acquisition of Arena Group, we will be uniquely positioned to offer workplace solutions in one of the fastest-growing managed print services segments in Western Europe.”

The Arena Group – a Microsoft gold certified partner -- was founded in 1991 and has grown from 10 employees in one office, to about 160 people across six U.K. offices, the company said on its website.

““There is no better time to join Xerox, a company undergoing a digital-first transformation and investing in the future,” Adrian Fitzpatrick, managing director, Arena Group said in a statement. “With our complementary client bases and Xerox’s comprehensive portfolio of offerings, we will be able to address the growing needs of the SMB market together.”