Aurora Managed Services has characterised its acquisition of peer Right Digital Solutions (RDS) as “the first step in our significant future growth plans”.
The duo this morning announced they are joining forces in a move they claim creates one of the UK’s largest independent workplace technology solutions providers.
Aurora ranked 94th in the recent Oxygen 250 2025 report profiling the UK’s largest channel partners, with RDS ranking 249th.
Covid took a permanent bite out of UK managed print volumes, which have settled at 52% of pre-pandemic levels, 2023 research found.
Aurora said it had encountered “significant post-COVID market pressures” in its latest annual accounts, which showed apportioned revenues shrinking by £15.8m to £36.9m in the year to 31 March 2024.
RDS saw its revenues slip from £16.1m to £13.2m in its calendar 2024 period, meanwhile.
“RDS is a very exciting acquisition for Aurora and the first step in our significant future growth plans,” Aurora Chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves stated.
Triple ownership transfer
The acquisition represents RDS’ third ownership change in a little over five years.
Founded in 1988 by Chairman Paul Gillett, Right Digital Solutions’ portfolio spans managed print, managed IT, managed communications and managed data insight.
Having been owned between 2011 and 2020 by Capita, it underwent an MBO in 2022.
“I strongly believe that the combination of Aurora’s scale and infrastructure with RDS’s technical expertise, customer focus, and determination will create a major force in the workplace technology marketplace,” Gillett stated.
“Aurora’s outstanding managed services offerings will be complemented by the addition of RDS’ technical expertise and service excellence, and I am looking forward to leveraging the synergies and best of breed from both organisations to become the market-leading independent provider of managed workplace technology,” Stanton-Gleaves added.
IT Channel Oxygen has attempted to contact both companies for additional comment, and will update accordingly.
