Basingstoke ObserverSOUTHERN Communications Group (SCG) has acquired cloud technology specialist X-on, marking the sixth acquisition SCG has made since the start of 2021.
Headquartered in Basingstoke, SCG is a leading supplier of business-to-business communications products and services. It employs almost 500 people across its network of nine offices in the UK and provides landline, mobile, data, and cloud services to more than 26,000 small and medium-sized businesses nationwide.
X-on is a cloud technology specialist based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, and the acquisition by SCG will enable the business to expand its Surgery Connect product line.
Surgery Connect is a cloud-based phone system specialised for GP surgeries, which includes features such as allowing doctors to call or text patients via the patient record and to seamlessly switch between phone and video consultations. An estimated 11 million patients from 1,400 practices across England and Wales currently use the platform.
The investment and support from SCG will now enable X-on to meet increased demand for sophisticated cloud telephone systems and roll-out the product to more primary care providers across the UK.
Paul Bradford, Chief Executive of SCG, commented: “X-on has an incredible presence in the primary care cloud telephony market and it is one of the strongest competitors in this space. This deal will supercharge X-on towards a new level of growth as the demand for cloud telephony in the primary care and wider healthcare markets continues to escalate, and we’re pleased to welcome the X-on team into the group.
I’d also like to extend a huge thanks to our expert advisors at Moore Barlow for their diligent work in ensuring the deal’s smooth completion. M&A will continue to form a major part of our growth strategy in the months and years ahead and it’s essential we have the right legal team supporting us as we move forward.”
David Bright, corporate partner at Moore Barlow, added: “SCG has been a savvy operator when it comes to M&A, having completed 30 acquisitions in the last decade, growing the quality and breadth of its offering to customers with every move. The digital and telecoms infrastructure that SCG has built over the past 50 years has become a cornerstone for small and medium-sized companies up and down the country.
This deal cements SCG’s position in the GP communications market and adds an incredibly tailored product in what is already a comprehensive telecoms and digital offering.”
