The purchase of North Shields-based 2020, for an undisclosed sum, is the latest step in network enabled smart integrated technologies to improve the performance safety and security of buildings, campuses and cities.
2020 is a specialist in IP-enabled security technology, video surveillance, access control and converged security solutions, and has a particularly strong presence in NE England and the Midlands, including a satellite office in Birmingham.
The management team at 2020, which has grown over the last 25 years into a security provider for public and private sector organisations in many sectors including education, health, local government, utilities and transportation, will continue to manage the business, working closely with Boston Networks CEO Scott McEwan and Boston’s executive management team.
The deal, which brings the staff count of the overall Boston Group to 170, is the second acquisition since specialist investment fund Aliter Capital acquired a major stake in Boston Networks in January this year.
The first of these acquisitions, in April, was that of PEL Services Ltd - a London-based sound, life safety, security and audio visual (AV) solutions company with a national coverage across a broad range of private and public-sector customers.
Scott McEwan, Boston Networks CEO, said: “We look forward to leveraging 2020's many years of experience of working in key areas of critical physical security, which will help us to drive towards the next phase of our growth as we continue to focus on applying technology to improve the performance, safety and security of people, buildings and assets. In particular this acquisition further deepens our services in the further education sector, enhances our existing security offering through the cloud platform and significantly spreads our geographic coverage."
Peter Houlis, 2020 Vision Systems managing director, who is exiting the company but who will continue as a consultant, said “I believe the partnership between 2020 and Boston Networks, with the support of Aliter, gives the company a major platform for growth in the years ahead.”
Greig Brown, Partner of Aliter Capital and Chairman of Boston Networks said: “2020 Vision Systems is a great addition and excellent fit for the Boston Group. In addition to the complementary solutions offering and strong management team, it is a significant step forward in our plan to create a national provider of integrated life safety, security and networking services, in key sectors, specifically targeting mid-market UK-based Blue-Chip companies."
Over the last few years, Boston Networks has completed a range of major contracts, including projects and services for the Queen Elizabeth University & Children’s Hospitals, The 2016, 2017 and 2018 Open Golf Championships and the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Boston recently secured a contract with AGS Airports to upgrade the wifi infrastructure at Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton Airports to the latest industry-leading enterprise grade wireless technology.
Boston is also leading the £6m project to build and operate Scotland’s national Internet of Things (IoT) network. The new network, called IoT Scotland, includes investment from the Scottish Government and will provide a wireless sensor network for applications and services to collect data from devices, monitoring efficiency and productivity, lowering costs and reducing carbon footprint.