Vodafone Ireland has bought Irish firm Complete Telecom as it seeks to grow revenues from its enterprise business.
The telecoms firm announced the deal this afternoon, but did not say how much it had paid for the Dublin-based company, citing commercial sensitivity.
Complete Telecom provides enterprise managed data network and fixed telecoms services, and is particularly strong in the Government and public sector.
Established in 2001, the firm currently employs 23 people, who will all move to Vodafone Ireland as part of the group's new enterprise solutions team. The team will also include staff from another Vodafone acquisition, Interfusion, and some existing Vodafone staff. In total, it will comprise between 70 and 80 people.
Complete currently has about 300 customers.
Vodafone Ireland's enterprise director Anne O'Leary said the move was part of the company's aim to become the top provider of telecoms services for businesses and the public sector in the country. With the new acquisition the company will be able to offer its business and public sector customers bespoke fixed and mobile telecoms services.
Customers are looking for one provider to offer a converged service, Ms O'Leary said. Vodafone has been moving in the past few years to provide that service, buying companies such as Interfusion, Perlico and part of BT's business in Ireland, and Cable & Wireless on a global basis.
"One in two business customers in Ireland have mobile with Vodafone. Our legacy is mobile," Ms O'Leary said. "Two out of three Government agencies have mobile with Vodafone. We got on the fixed framework last year, which means we could supply fixed services to Government, and now this brings us a large public sector customer base."
The deal with Complete also brings new expertise to Vodafone. "Complete is long established and credible. They have been more than 10 years in Ireland, and they're known," said Ms O'Leary.
Vodafone said about 20 per cent of its revenues currently come from its enterprise managed data network, and it expects that to double over the next five years.
