Alaska based Alaska Communications Systems (ACS) is looking to grow enterprise and IT revenues through a strategic acquisition of 49% of TekMate, an Anchorage based information technology company with 40 employees and $5.5 million in revenue. ACS offers wireline, broadband, and wireless service throughout Alaska and also operates undersea data connectivity with the lower 48 states and Canada.
The move is similar to other deals in the independent telco space, as companies look to diversify beyond voice services. “TekMate customers enjoy peace of mind with TekMate’s managed IT services. By complementing those services with ACS data hosting and fixed and mobile data connectivity, the partnership can deliver even more solutions such as business continuity, across a wide range of businesses, in Alaska and beyond,” said Liane Pelletier, ACS chief executive officer.
TekMate offers a range of managed IT services, including desktop support, desktop and server hardware, operating systems management, LAN monitoring and security services. ACS thinks those offerings will integrate nicely with their existing connectivity and data center solutions. It’s a good example of a small telecom service provider (in relative terms) actively taking steps to diversify their business and position themselves for future growth.
