Ntiva Inc., an MSP backed by private equity firm Southfield Capital, has acquired Apple Technology Service Provider Forget Computers of Chicago. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This is M&A deal number 500 that ChannelE2E has tracked so far in 2020. Find a full list of M&A deals here.
Forget Computers President Ben Greiner shifts to director of Apple Technology at Ntiva. The Forget Computers staff tucks into Ntiva as part of the buyer's Apple Enterprise Management focus. Ntiva now has more than 300 employees who support more than 1,400 customer organizations across the United States.
A growing number of MSPs offer some form of Apple support for Macintosh, iPad and iPhone devices running macOS and iOS. Also, most major RMM (remote monitoring and management) software platforms now offer at least some Apple-centric monitoring capabilities. Plus, upstarts like Addigy focus purely on Apple-centric device management tools.
Still, Ntiva believes the Forget Computers's expertise -- including Apple-certified technicians, tools and workflows -- differentiates the company from rival MSPs. In my own experience, I've written about Forget Computers since around 2009 -- and have frequently noted the company's strong, differentiated reputation as an Apple-centric MSP.
Ntiva Acquires Forget Computers: Executive Perspectives
In a prepared statement about the deal, Ntiva CEO Steven Freidkin said:
“Expanding our service capabilities to enhance our support of Apple products in a seamless and secure manner with a dedicated team of professionals and intellectual property is a game changer for our clients and industry.
We are thrilled to welcome the Apple-certified team from Forget Computers who bring 20+ years of Apple experience to the table, along with custom software tools that offer advanced support. This means that in addition to superior support for pure Apple environments, our clients will also have access to skilled technicians who are experienced in more traditional mixed platforms. This allows us to be in the unique position to partner with our clients and deliver a consistent and secure experience across Windows and Apple platforms.”
Added Ben Greiner, founder and president of Forget Computers:
“Since 1998 we’ve been solely focused on supporting businesses who use Apple technology, providing the services, security and education they need to get the most out of their investment. Joining forces with Ntiva provides us with expanded resources and access to a bigger geographic footprint, allowing our combined team to unlock new revenue channels and opportunities while elevating the technological and strategic expertise available to our joint clients. I look forward to expanding on the vision I had from the beginning when I first founded Forget Computers.”
Ntiva has extensive M&A experience. Previous acquisitions that ChannelE2E has covered include:
- January 2020: Equilibrium IT Solutions of Illinois.
- July 2019: HigherGround of Illinois.
- Apr 2019: Cloud services provider Diverse Technology Solutions.
- Jan 2019: Reston, Virginia-based MSP Network Alliance
- Dec 2018: The commercial MSP and hosting business of Lore Systems Inc.
- Sep 2017: Full-service telecom provider IN Communications Inc.
Apple Ecosystem Mergers, Acquisitions, Partnerships and Managed IT Services
Meanwhile, M&A activity in the Apple IT management ecosystem has remained strong. Example deals and partnerships include:
- October 2020: Jamf acquired Mondada, the creator of Apple macOS patch management solutions Kinobi and Kinobi Pro.
- June 2020: Jamf launched a successful IPO.
- June 2020: Apple acquired Fleetsmith for Mac, iPhone & iPad RMM & mobile device management (MDM) software capabilities.
- February 2019: Jamf acquired ZuluDesk, uniting an Apple iOS & macOS device management company with a major software platform supplier to schools.
- December 2018: Everise acquired Trusource Labs, which offers help desk support for Apple and IoT (Internet of Things) customers.
- May 2018: Evergreen Services Group invested in Interlaced — an Apple-centric IT services provider.
- October 2017: Vista Equity Partners acquired Jamf, the Apple macOS & iOS device management software provider.
- September 2017: Accenture and Apple partnered to promote iOS business solutions for iPhone & iPad customers. Apple has similar iOS relationships with Cisco Systems & IBM.
- June 2017: Dimension Data launched Apple iOS device management and security services for corporate iPhone and iPad customers.
- February 2017: Jigsaw24, a major Apple Mac reseller, acquired root6, an MSP with storage and IT media expertise.
