efex steps up Adelaide footprint with Aish IT

Managed IT service provider efex has significantly increased its Adelaide presence with the acquisition of Aish IT. 

The acquisition of Aish IT is a strategically important move, with efex identifying South Australia as a vital hub due to the significant number of SMBs with increasingly complex IT requirements. 

Aish IT was founded by Peter Aish in 1989, and is now managed by Michael Aish and David Colebrook. It serves over 750 SMB clients and is highly valued for its expertise in networks, cloud, cyber and modern workplace products. 

This acquisition will enable efex to leverage the technical skills of Aish IT’s team, particularly in network engineering, while offering Aish customers economies of scale and expanded product range of a larger national business. 

This includes the upcoming launch in July 2024 of efex’s MS Cyber Lite solution, an all-in-one subscription-based, scalable solution that suits growing SMB’s who need IT basics with cyber protection that is central to the product. 

“This acquisition is part of our broader acquisition strategy for 2024, which aims to significantly increase our footprint across Australia in areas where we are experiencing strong growth in addition to places where we don’t currently have a presence,” efex CEO Nick Sheehan said. 

“We are delighted to welcome Michael, David and their exceptional team to efex. This partnership allows Aish to benefit from the economies of scale efex brings, as well as our combined ability to bring innovative solutions to both efex and Aish clients.”

Aish IT will continue to operate autonomously, maintaining its strong local brand and reputation. The business will also retain Aish IT employees, with longevity and skills of its people a key part of the deal. With an average tenure of 14 years, the team’s expertise spans key areas including solution design, virtualisation and automation.

“Our clients can rest assured that there will be no changes to our brand or the high-quality services they have come to rely on,” Michael Aish said. 

“Joining efex means we can offer our customers even greater value through additional resources and products, such as the upcoming launch of efex’s MS Cyber Lite product in July 2024.”

The acquisition of Aish IT will increase efex’s presence in South Australia by more than 10% in both client base and headcount, making Adelaide one of efex’s largest regional operations. 

The South Australian Aish IT business will continue to be led by its current leadership team, working closely with efex’s SA branch manager Dean Brogan to ensure seamless integration and continued excellence in service delivery.

“This acquisition demonstrates our strategy to grow both organically and through acquisition when opportunities arise,” Sheehan said. “We see South Australia as a major source of talent for efex, and we are excited to work with the Aish team to enhance their ability to service and scale clients with great products and services.”