Dimension Data Acquires UC Integrator Ceryx

Information and communications technology specialist Dimension Data announced it has acquired Toronto-based Ceryx, a unified communications provider that offers a suite of services across the Microsoft Messaging and Collaboration Suite, including Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint and Skype for Business.

Ceryx will reside within Dimension Data’s ITaaS (IT-as-a-service) unit, and Dimension Data will combine Ceryx’s offerings with its Microsoft services to deliver a services portfolio that spans on-premises, private cloud and public cloud; Office 365 for Microsoft Exchange; SharePoint; and Skype for Business.

The acquisition accelerates Dimension Data’s digital transformation objectives across the ITaaS service unit, enterprise services and support services.

“With Ceryx’s technology, Dimension Data can provide clients with a complete managed Microsoft offering delivered via on-premises, private cloud, public cloud or a hybrid solution,” Ettienne Reinecke, Dimension Data’s group chief technology officer, told eWEEK. “The acquisition expands Dimension Data’s Cloud Services for Microsoft (CSfM), allowing for hybrid deployment between workloads, and accelerates development in this area. Ceryx’s strategy and product offerings are aligned with Dimension Data’s development in this market.”

Reinecke explained that Dimension Data has been investing in a single tenanted, private cloud offering for Exchange, SharePoint and Skype for Business—known as Cloud Services for Microsoft (CSfM)—on its global cloud platform.

“We have seen good success in the market with CSfM, and we have always had full integration with Office 365 on our roadmap,” he said. “Based on the increased demand from our clients for cloud-based services—both for single tenanted and multi-tenanted options—we wanted to accelerate our offering to include Office 365.”

Reinecke said Ceryx developed Cloud Control to provide a consistent experience for provisioning, management and operations for this hybrid approach.

“The acquisition puts Dimension Data in a position to provide the full hybrid service and a single mechanism for provisioning and management of these workloads, with deep automation, regardless of the type or location, on-premises, private and public,” he noted. “We have seen this requirement across all our operating regions and believe that Dimension Data is now in a unique position to offer our clients the full suite of hybrid services for the Microsoft business productivity workloads on a global basis.”

Reinecke also said the company foresees major changes in the UC market in coming years.

“The reality is that many clients never got the true benefit of UC, and in many cases, UC resulted in an IP telephony outcome—and a true unified communication outcome was not achieved,” he said. “We believe that the market has changed drastically, with mobility and social platforms driving significant change in what users expect to use to remain productive in their working environment.”