Ricoh has acquired UK-based Pure AV to enhance its provision of meeting and workplace solutions to customers, including unified communications and collaboration (UCC), audio-visual systems and workplace management.
Founded in 2003, Pure AV is an AV integrator with specific expertise in higher education learning environments, as well as the commercial and hybrid technology markets.
It is headquartered in Preston, Lancashire, and employs 72 operating across the UK, serving both domestic and international customer projects.
Ricoh will take on Pure AV’s existing sites, including its HQ, and the entire Pure AV workforce will be retained as part of the acquisition. Ricoh said customers, through the acquisition, will have access to a “broad portfolio of products, software and service offerings”, and will be able to “harness continuous innovation through strategic partners”.
It added that Pure AV customers will benefit from Ricoh’s “global footprint, financial strength and integrated service delivery infrastructure”.
Pure AV will continue to operate under its existing name, reporting to Ricoh UK.
Edward Hamilton, vice president for communication services at Ricoh Europe, said: “This is a significant addition to Ricoh’s communication services delivery business, both within the UK and at a European level.
“Not only will it accelerate our organic growth in this sector, it will strengthen our technical design and delivery capability within the corporate, higher education and healthcare markets.”
He added: “Leveraging the specialist skills of Pure AV creates opportunities for lifelong learning and upskilling of Ricoh’s existing employees, meaning our customers receive an even more diverse and extensive level of support.”
Last year, Ricoh added to the long list of services companies it has acquired in recent times with the capture of Avantage in the Netherlands. Avantage is an IT services company that supports customers with workplace automation, IT infrastructure and cloud services to improve productivity.
Previous digital services acquisitions in Europe by Ricoh include: the Ridgian companies for analytics, Aventia for user experience and e-commerce, Techno Trends for unified communications and video conferencing, NPO Sistemi for cloud solutions, LAKE Solutions for data storage, the IPM and TotalStor firms for digital transformation, Mauden for data centre technology, and Orbid for critical IT infrastructures and managed services.
