Microsoft aims for more acquisitions
Software giant Microsoft may make further acquisitions of accounting software companies, despite spending over £1.5bn on two companies over the past 18 months.
Software giant Microsoft may make further acquisitions of accounting software companies, despite spending over £1.5bn on two companies over the past 18 months.
The company is still waiting to receive the green light on its attempt to buy Danish company Navision in a near £1bn deal, however it believes the deal will be given the go ahead by regulators.
It has already moved to acquire Great Plains in a £757m buy-out, but Simon Edwards, UK managing director of Microsoft Great Plains, told Accountancy Age the spending may not have ended.
He said: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if the company was to make further acquisitions in the future.’
Managing director of software company Eclipse, Gary Waylett, a Microsoft Great Plains partner, added: ‘From Microsoft’s point of view this is a great move.
‘They now have coverage in Europe (Navision) and the US (Great Plains). If they are looking for worldwide coverage, then that leaves a company with a strong presence in Asia as the next target.’
Acquisitions may also be made as the company looks to gain a larger customer base or additional products.
Once the acquisition has been completed, Navision will become part of Microsoft’s Business Solutions division. Navision’s corporate headquarters in Vedbaek, Denmark, will become the centre of development and operations for Microsoft Business Solutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and will become Microsoft’s largest product development centre outside the US.
Microsoft Great Plains recently revealed that it was stepping up plans to partner accountants, as part of a bid to boost its presence in the software market.
The company is ‘looking for firms that add value’ to its business, with partnerships with firms, such as those it has with Tenon arm Tenon Technology and BDO Stoy Hayward, to become increasingly prevalent.