Microsoft has acquired The Marsden Group, a technology consulting firm and developer focused on cloud, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and AI (artificial intelligence) for industrial environments. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This is technology M&A deal number 180 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2021. See all technology M&A deals for 2021 and 2020 listed here.
The Marsden Group is based in Houston, Texas. The company has somewhere between 51 and 200 employees, according to LinkedIn. Still, only 32 of those employees are on LinkedIn, so actual Marsden Group headcount is unclear.
Microsoft Explains Marsden Group Acquisition
Microsoft says the deal focuses in emerging opportunities in infrastructure and manufacturing. In a blog about the deal, Omar Abbosh, Microsoft's corporate VP of cross-industry solutions, wrote:
"We know that in asset-intensive industries, such as manufacturing, automotive or logistics, companies face unique challenges in adopting new technologies, for example connecting industrial equipment safely and securely to the cloud, overcoming data silos and supporting interoperability across modern and legacy systems. Through recent projects, I’ve seen firsthand what The Marsden Group and Microsoft can do, what’s possible when we bring together our cloud, edge, IoT, digital twin and AI capabilities with The Marsden Group’s speed, agility and technical creativity."
Recent Marsden innovations include VisionIQ, a software platform that allows customers to manage operations within critical Red Zone areas. The system "enables the accurate tracking and monitoring of personnel and will send audible and visual alerts should hazards occur, making safety the number one priority," Marsden says. Target customers include offshore operational zones such as drilling rigs.
Microsoft, Marsden and Avanade?
Still, details about Microsoft's overall plan for Marsden were vague. The buyer did not say if or how Marsden aligns with Avanade -- a global IT solutions provider that both Microsoft and Accenture have backed.
