Smart Identity looks for growth

IDENTITY management business Smart Identity is hoping to complement organic growth with acquisitions.

Chairman Scott Fletcher said tougher markets may produce good acquisition opportunities for the Manchester-based company.

Reporting the group’s unaudited first-half figures for the six months to September 30 Mr Fletcher said it had made steady progress in a “challenging” business environmemt.

Plus-listed Smart Identity provides software security services for public and private sector organisations such as United Biscuits, Debenhams and the NHS.

It is now working on contracts with various police forces in the UK and said it is building on its relations with the NHS.

In the six months Smart Identity saw a steep drop in like-for-like pre-tax profits from £89,500 last time to £16,882. This was largely down to higher like-for-like administrative expenses. Sales dipped 7% to £172,135.

The business is a subsidiary of Manchester-based technology infrastructure specialist ANS Group, which in the six months to September 30 saw pre-tax profits rise 8% to £538,485.