First Focus closes fourth New Zealand acquisition this year: Resolve Technology

Technology advisory and services firm First Focus has once again expanded across the ditch, with Wellington-based Resolve Technology its fourth purchase made in New Zealand so far this year.

Established in 2009, Resolve Technology started out with a focus on cloud and data hosting, and has since grown to offer a range of managed IT and cyber services with particular capabilities in providing security for clients operating in high-risk sectors.

The company now joins an ever- expanding First Focus roster, including, over just the past six months alone, fellow Kiwi providers CNX in Nelson, Auckland-based Optimus Systems, and OneHQ, which has a presence in both Auckland and Christchurch.

“Wellington was an important next location for us in New Zealand and Resolve gives us a great team on the ground with particularly strong experience across the legal and healthcare sectors,” said First Focus CEO Ross Sardi, who has now switched to an A/NZ managing director and chief innovation officer role for US parent Integris since the recent closure of its First Focus acquisition.

Meanwhile, Resolve founder Simon Falconer will also continue on in a virtual chief AI & innovation officer (vCAIO) role for First Focus, with Sardi adding that the firm has been experiencing strong demand from clients seeking practical help to identify where AI can improve their businesses and have it properly implemented via its CORE intelligent MSP offering.

First Focus further pointed to Resolve’s particular expertise in supporting organisations with complex security, privacy and compliance requirements, such as government agencies and NGOs as well those in the legal and healthcare sectors. In addition to its managed IT, cloud, and cybersecurity offerings, Resolve also has lines in AI advisory, Microsoft 365, and forensics.

“The question wasn’t whether to bring in a partner, but which one would be worth joining. First Focus was the clear answer, and I’m excited to take the practical AI work I’ve been doing to a much broader client base,” Falconer said. “But for our current clients, continuity comes first – the same relationships and people they trust, but with considerably more depth and capability behind them.”

Sparking the hunt for a larger Wellington office, the deal will see a further ten professionals added to the now more than 100 First Focus specialists stationed across New Zealand, with coverage further spanning Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and the Nelson and Marlborough regions. Resolve will also transition to the First Focus branding over the coming twelve months.