The move comes as IT Lab looks to grow its partnership with Microsoft and expand its services.
Sol-Tec Limited has previously worked with the public sector including the Department of Work and Pensions; HMRC; and Department for Education to build up their Microsoft Azure capabilities.
As part of the acquisition, IT Lab will gain Sol-Tec’s proprietary Azure methodology Velocity Landing Zone, which is for using pre-defined artefacts to expedite the deployment and configuration of highly scalable and secure baseline for Microsoft Azure environments.
This is the fourth acquisition since private equity firm ECI Partners acquired a majority stake in IT Lab in 2016.
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Nik Topham, CEO and founder of Sol-Tec, commented: “IT Lab was the natural home for Sol-Tec, with its dedicated focus on Microsoft and the deep expertise already established across Modern Workplace and Dynamics 365.
“Sol-Tec’s exceptional Azure capability complements and strengthens the ability of IT Lab to help our combined clients truly leverage the power of the Microsoft Cloud. In addition to this being a great capability fit from our client’s perspective, our cultures, ethos and ambitions align perfectly.”
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Topham will continue to focus on the commercial growth of Sol-Tec as well as oversee the ongoing integration between the two businesses, while working with Tim Wallis, IT Lab Group Chief Digital Officer to further build on the group’s close relationship with Microsoft.
Peter Sweetbaum, CEO of IT Lab stated: “Sol-Tec is a true Azure expert, with market-leading expertise in the design, deployment and configuration of secure and compliant Azure environments.
“We are incredibly excited to add Sol-Tec’s award-winning Azure expertise to our market-leading Modern Workplace and Dynamic 365 practices, further solidifying IT Lab as one of the UK’s leading Microsoft focused cloud services and solutions providers.
“Having the ability to deliver the functionality that Microsoft cloud-centric services can provide, particularly at this pivotal and challenging time is key for our clients.”
Paul Collins, CTO of Sol-Tec will oversee the continued technical development of the group’s Azure practice, working alongside Nick Isherwood, IT Lab’s Product & Service Director for Azure to infuse Sol-Tec’s capability and the Velocity Landing Zone into the wider IT Lab group.
Sweetbaum discussing the future of IT Lab and its acquisitions said: “As a group, we will continue to look for exceptional businesses to become part of the group. The common theme with the deals we have done since ECI’s investment, including Perspective Risk, Content and Code, Mirus and now Sol-Tec, is that we have consistently acquired exceptional businesses with amazing teams – all of which want to do great things.”
