Exclusive Networks today announced its acquisition of Sydney-headquartered WhiteGold Solutions, the leading independent value added distributor of IT security, networking, converged infrastructure and datacentre solutions for the Australia/New Zealand enterprise channel.  The acquisition is the Group’s first outside EMEA and reflects the continuing success of the Exclusive Networks business model, as well as signalling its new long-term strategy to expand operations throughout the Asia-Pacific market.

“This is a landmark moment in our international expansion that underlines our commitment to global vendor and reseller partners, and demonstrates our belief in the sustainability of our business model.  Other distribution business models naturally dilute their ability to create value as they expand – ours does the opposite,” said Olivier Breittmayer, CEO of Exclusive Networks Group.  “WhiteGold Solutions is a very successful and well-managed business growing at around 60% each year and ideally placed to become our gateway for expanding operations throughout the wider region.  Its business is grounded in a remarkably familiar business philosophy, echoing many of the approaches to marketing and technical support that form our blueprint for true value-added distribution for disruptive technology vendors.” 

Since 2003, Exclusive Networks Group has pursued a unique approach to growing its value added distribution business, first in Europe, then across EMEA and now on an increasingly global scale.  Rather than assimilate geographic presence and corporate bureaucracy, Exclusive Networks has remained genuinely committed to the entrepreneurial and dynamic attributes of the distribution businesses it has acquired.  In step with strong organic growth across the organisation, its highly successful, long-running acquisition strategy of identifying ‘like-minded’ distribution businesses and encouraging them to blossom as individual entities, is an essential part of the Group’s plan to reach 1bn€ in global revenues by 2017.

“This is great news for the partners and people associated with WhiteGold Solutions, and we’re looking forward to playing our part in the next chapter of Exclusive Networks’ global expansion,” said Dominic Whitehand, Managing Director of WhiteGold Solutions.  “WhiteGold is extremely proud of our heritage in pioneering the Unified Value Distribution model in ANZ, and validating it with incredible success for our vendors and partners alike.  In looking to expand both locally and into the wider APAC region, the business sought a partner that would give us stability, increased relevance with vendors and partners on a global scale, and continuing autonomy in managing and running our operation in ANZ.”

Jonathan Odria, Sales Director of WhiteGold Solutions, added, “In joining Exclusive Networks Group, we have achieved all of these goals through common vendors, partners and corporate philosophy.  The cultural, professional and aspirational fit could not be better - and we are thrilled to have found such an opportunity to massively scale what we truly believe is the most effective, relevant distribution model available today.”

Another reason for the attractiveness of the Australian market is its disproportionately large ICT market by comparison to other industry sectors, and against similarly sized European economies.  “Australia and now New Zealand are among very few of the world’s developed economies to have shown growth during the global downturn, and IT is a major sector with IT spending forecast to reach 34bn€ by 2016*,” added Breittmayer.  “There is a significant opportunity for us to invest on behalf of our partners and become more influential in more markets.”

* Source: IDC, March 2013