Chess moves to buy TMS in channel partner push

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Chess ICT has acquired billing systems provider TMS, allowing to offer a wider range of hosted voice and data services to its customers via channel partners.

Chess will integrate many of TMS’s services into its product offering including its secure and scalable managed billing service. The company will also onboard TMS’s existing partner network comprising more than 100 businesses, as well as its WLR3 integration team to help get end-users set up with the best system for them.

“I’ve always been an admirer of the TMS business," Chess Founder and CEO, David Pollock said. "For a long time now, we’ve had an aspiration to acquire the company if the opportunity presented itself. Their experience and reputation will really enhance relationships with our partners.”

TMS’s management team, including operations director Helen Booker will join Chess to ensure the integration goes as smoothly as possible. However, Suzanne Chappell, chairman and founder of TMS will retire and so will not be joining Chess alongside her colleagues.

“The next stage of TMS’s journey is going to be exciting as part of team Chess,” Chappell commented. “I know that our senior management and team members will thrive as part of Chess, with its greater scale in sales and support and award-winning workplace ethos. With our years of channel focus and expertise and 112 loyal partners, we bring real value to Chess’s partners.”

Chess explained this is only the beginning of its acquisition journey and it will continue to seek other companies it can buy to help grow its reach across the ICT industry and bring onboard more talent to service its customers, whatever services they need to take their business to the next level.

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.