Forsythe Acquires Telenisus, Broadens Security Services

While Forsythe gains the right to the Telenisus name, it plans to fold the Chicago-based company's services into its own, said Eva Losacco, CEO and president of Forsythe. The $700 million solution provider, based here, will brand those services with the Telenisus name, she said.

Forsythe was already in the process of increasing its security services when the opportunity arose to acquire Telenisus, Losacco said. "Our customers have been asking us to do more in this area in the last couple of years," Losacco said. "We were committed to providing more security solutions to customers and had hired a few people. But it would have taken us another year."

Forsythe had been in discussions with Telenisus, but the real breakthrough came in December when Telenisus sold its managed services business to VeriSign, Mountain View, Calif., for $5.8 million. "We were talking at the time, but we already had managed services," said Losacco.

In acquiring parts of Telenisus, Forsythe gets great technology and skill sets, as well as an active customer base, Losacco said. Among the 25 people that will join Forsythe are David Nolan, Telenisus' COO, who will become general manager of Forsythe security solutions and vice president of consulting services. Gordon Reichard, former president, CEO and director of Telenisus, will consult with Forsythe on an ongoing basis. Forsythe's next move is to expand its disaster-recovery and business-continuity business, Losacco said.