1. SoftwareOne and Crayon’s colourful combination
This year’s blockbuster channel partner merger claims top spot in this countdown.
Having originally announced their intention to form a 13,000-employee software licensing giant back in December, SoftwareOne and Crayon completed their nuptials on 2 July.
Switzerland-based SoftwareOne had snubbed several private equity approaches before changing tack and agreeing to acquire its slightly smaller, Norway-headquartered rival.
Microsoft’s decision to aggressively slash Enterprise Agreement fees from January – which SoftwareOne CEO Raphael Erb recently characterised as a “headwind” – was seen by some as a pivotal factor behind the duo’s merger.
Together, the two firms boast gross billings of around 15.8bn Swiss francs ($17.7bn), drawing approximately 70% of revenues from Microsoft.
“Based on our combined global footprint, enhanced offering and deep partner relationships, we will be excellently positioned to capitalise on the large, fast-growing market of software, cloud, data and AI,” Erb stated.
