Australian IT services firm First Focus sells to US counterpart Integris
US-based IT advisory and managed services firm Integris is buying Australian counterpart First Focus in its first international foray, with both being the sum of dozens of mergers & acquisitions.
Headquartered in New Jersey and focused on the SMB (small-to-medium business) market, Integris was established in its present form in 2021 through the amalgamation of four US tech consultancies, with private equity firm OMERS buying the business at the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, First Focus was founded in Sydney in 2003 by now chairman Peter Paddon, and has since grown to a team of almost 400 staff spread across the A/NZ and the Philippines due largely to its own string of acquisitions, including most recently CNX in New Zealand.
While still subject to approval, Integris claimed that the combined entity upon closure would become the largest managed services provider (MSP) in the world catering to the SMB segment, with heightened 24/7 cybersecurity and other service capabilities. The firms also noted that they have worked closely over time, and share the same views on the direction of the market.
“This is about building a stronger AI-enabled managed services business for the future, not simply increasing scale. AI is changing how great service providers operate, how customers use technology, and where value will be created over the next decade,” commented First Focus CEO Ross Sardi, who will continue to lead A/NZ while also taking on the group chief innovation role.
Sardi, who has been with First Focus for more than a decade and led the firm since 2018, including overseeing more than a dozen acquisitions in the past few years alone, continued; “We believe customers will increasingly want a partner that can help them adopt AI in practical ways, strengthen security, and support them across markets without losing the local relationships that matters.”
With the backing of Integris, itself backed by the private equity arm OMERS (the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System), Future Focus raised the potential of further future acquisitions to drive continued regional growth, while stating that the ability to keep investing as the market consolidates will be one of the key areas that defines the future of managed services.
Integris CEO Rashaad Bajwa also said First Focus would play a central role in the combined group’s long-term growth strategy; “First Focus has built a highly respected business with a strong culture and deep expertise across managed AI and IT services. A/NZ is an important growth market, and we’re excited to support Ross and the team as they continue to scale the business.”
It’s expected First Focus will take up the Integris branding over time, but for now, the firm concludes; “If you are a client, the practical takeaway is simple; you keep the local team you already work with, but gain a much deeper bench of specialists, 24/7 cover from people who are awake when you’re asleep, and faster access to AI use cases proven across a global customer base.”
