B2B subscription commerce platform vendor AppDirect is expanding its services to MSPs and customers by acquiring vCom Solutions, an IT lifecycle management software and managed services company.
The deal will bring together AppDirect customers and partner advisors with vCom’s AI-powered vManager suite of managed services for IT spending, and with vCom’s QuantumShift Buyers’ Club, according to the announcement.
“Post-acquisition, the vCom platform will be integrated with the AppDirect procurement management platform so that advisors and their end customers will have one single destination to manage all of their cloud, telecommunications, and mobility services,” Andy Ellerhorst, VP of operations and chief of staff at AppDirect, told ChannelE2E. “With benefits such as single sign-on, consolidated spend, and data management across both platforms, AppDirect, augmented with vCom’s TEM (telecom expense management) platform, becomes a more valuable tech tool in managing their daily business operations.”
San Francisco-based AppDirect operates an ecosystem of subscription marketplaces that bring technologies to some five million subscribers through about 1,000 MSPs and other providers and 10,000 advisors to help them buy, sell, and manage products and services for their customers. AppDirect has about 1,100 employees, according to LinkedIn.
vCom Solutions is based in San Ramon, California and has about 159 employees, according to ZoomInfo.
Acquisition Details
The companies have not announced the price tag for the deal nor any financial details of the transaction other than revealing that it “is a capital fund with equity involved,” when asked directly by ChannelE2E.
“The vCom team will become a division within AppDirect, including all of vCom’s current customers,” said Ellerhorst. “With the integration of vCom into AppDirect's portfolio, MSPs can now extend their existing technology management practices with robust expense management capabilities through the vCom vManager platform.”
This will help small to midsize MSPs by giving them “the ability to match the comprehensive technology expense management (TEM) and IT management services historically provided only by larger MSPs,” said Ellerhorst. “Additionally, they will benefit from AppDirect’s extensive catalog of telecom, SaaS, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other products relevant to their service offerings.”
By bringing the companies and their distinct products and services together, the combination will help customers streamline their operations, optimize costs, and drive greater efficiency and profitability without increasing the overhead necessary to launch new practices or manage new provider relationships, added Ellerhorst.
A date for the completion of the acquisition has not been announced, but Ellerhorst said that both companies are “actively working towards closing as soon as possible.”
Partner and MSP Benefits of the Acquisition
For MSPs and other partners, the deal will help the combined companies drive their goals of helping business customers find, buy and manage all their recurring IT investments using trusted advisors that can deliver products and services as needed.
vCom’s products are built to serve IT and finance organizations through the lifecycle management of their IT environments, including everything from procurement to payment. The vManager platform provides a customizable marketplace for the planning and procurement of assets, as well as operational management of inventory, orders and support tickets. It also helps customers manage the processing, payment, cost allocation, and optimization of technology invoices, giving businesses deeper visibility, time savings, and other benefits.
The acquisition of vCom is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, according to the companies. Before the acquisition is completed vCom will spin out its direct sales team and branded franchise advisors to become an exclusive partner to AppDirect.
