Growth plans for merged cloud specialists as they take ANS name forward

Paul Shannon, CEO, ANS

Merged cloud specialists ANS and UKFast have revealed they will take the ANS name forward.

UKFast and ANS, both of which are controlled by private equity group Inflexion, merged in October last year.

Inflexion took a controlling stake in UKFast in May 2020 following the exit of its founders Lawrence and Gail Jones, and acquired ANS in June 2021.

The merger created one the UK’s largest independent cloud provider, delivering public and private cloud, hosting, security, DevOps, applications and data expertise to its 7,000 customers.

The merger also saw ANS CEO of five years, Paul Shannon, become CEO for the combined firm.

He says: “The milestone represents huge opportunity, both for our team and our customers.

“By combining the strengths of both businesses under the ANS name, we are creating a world-class digital transformation business, focussed on providing an amazing experience for our customers, team, and tech partners.”

Shannon said the firm has ambitions to become the leading digital transformation partner in Europe.

“The breadth and scope of cloud, digital and security expertise inside ANS is industry leading. By bringing together two of the best tech firms in the UK, we are primed to deliver exceptional service to customers, wherever they are in their digital transformation journey.”

As part of its strategy is the development of its training division into one of the largest and most comprehensive digital academies in the country.

The ANS Academy will carry forward relationships with exam boards and vendors including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Pearson Vue, CompTIA, the Linux Professional Institute, Cisco and Red Hat and will continue to be an incubator of leading-edge digital skills in cloud, cybersecurity, eCommerce, web design, customer support and networking.

ANS also plans to launch a recruitment drive in 2022 to meet strong market demand for digital technology and transformation skills.

Shannon added: “ANS has a strong track record in attracting and retaining the very best technical talent, something that has never been more important as more organisations embark on or progress their digital transformation journeys.

“We are focused on deepening the skilled resources available to customers who are working with increasingly complex IT landscapes.”

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