WICKLOW IT firm Saaspoint is to be acquired by Appirio, as the US company expands into Europe. Appirio intends to use the Irish business, which also has offices in Britain, as a “jumping-off point” for its further expansion in the region. The financial details were not disclosed.

Saaspoint, which provides cloud consulting services, was founded in 2005 and employs 30 people in Bray. It also has an office in Britain and counts companies such as British Gas, Dell, eBay, Paypal, Pfizer, Plantronics and Procter Gamble among its customers.

Staff numbers are expected to rise at Saaspoint as a result of the takeover, with Appirio’s EMEA head Lori Williams saying she expects headcount to at least double over the next year.

Ms Williams said the focus would likely be on the Irish and British markets in the first half of 2012, with the company looking further afield to Germany, France and Benelux in the final six months.

The move marks the fourth acquisition for Appirio this year and will provide it with a foundation to build a European business and further its global presence. It already has operations in Japan, India and the US.

According to research firm IDC, public IT cloud service revenue will rise by more than 35 per cent in Western Europe by 2015. The company’s strategic partners – Salesforce.com, Google and Workday – also have a strong focus on the European market.