Chess buys cyber security firm Foursys, adding £11m in turnover

Chess play

Telecoms and ICT provider Chess has acquired cyber security firm Foursys, in a move that will boost turnover by £11 million.

The acquistion will enable the business to break into the security space and complement its existing competencies and offerings, it said.

Chess sees the acquisition as a strategic opportunity, not only to bolster the services it can provide to its customers, but also to show the industry it's a serious force in the technology services sector.

“This acquisition shows other potential sellers in the telecoms, data and ICT sector that Chess remains the stand-out choice," added Richard Btesh, director of Chess. "We continue to diversify our product range by making strategic acquisitions of quality businesses."

“The cultural, organisational and business fit of the two companies is perfect. I’m delighted that Chess see the acquisition of Foursys as such a key step on their growth journey. Being part of a much larger business brings new supplier choice, opportunities, expertise and skills in a wide range of ICT disciplines to our customers and partners," said Foursys managing director, James Miller.

Chess explained the deal will allow the provider to take advantage of Foursys' relationship with Sophos too, with the cybersecurity company recently announced as one of its Top UK Education Partners.

“Sophos is proud of our outstanding relationship with Foursys over the past 10 years of working together," added Johnathan Bartholomew, channel sales director at Sophos.

"We are thrilled with the announcement of the recent acquisition with the Chess Group, and see this as an opportunity for Foursys to continue to accelerate the growth they have seen with Sophos in previous years. Chess will provide Foursys with the platform to deliver the Sophos security solutions to even more organisations in the UK.”

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.