2025 Issue #1 - This week in the ICT Channel

After a Christmas hiatus, Comms Dealer is back with with all the latest new from the ICT channel, the Comms Dealer team wishes all our readers a successful 2025.

Firstcom Europe secures enhanced funding with Kartesia

Firstcom Europe has agreed to extend and upsize its existing loan facility with Kartesia , in a transaction that follows on from an initial investment during 2020.

The new financing package includes additional drawn and undrawn facilities that will be used to support further growth and diversification through M&A.

Firstcom has completed 14 acquisitions in the past decade and now has an annual turnover of over €48m.

It has developed a UCaaS system which encompasses enhanced voice services, softphones and SIP channels for SMEs and uses a range of partners to provide advanced cloud solutions.

Firstcom has already completed an acquisition since the loan extension, purchasing a customer base with a turnover of more than €1.2 million annually, and around 35% of this revenue is derived from IT services.

Nick Holman , Katesia’s Partner and Head of the UK and Ireland commented: “We have supported Firstcom and seen the positive trajectory since we first partnered with the business four years ago.

“The additional capital provided through our investment will allow Firstcom to deliver further organic growth, and to capitalise on M&A opportunities as it continues to expand.”

New 2025 ICT Channel Initiative and Event...

The UK Partner Week Summit is a free to attend event?for MSP business leaders, sales, marketing, and technical specialists, offering unrivalled opportunities to learn and connect. Learn more at: www.partnerweek.uk

Whitty named as Non-Executive Director at Agilitas IT Solutions

Agilitas IT Solutions Limited has appointed Angela Whitty as Non-Executive Director, who will be a key asset as the company continues to execute its ambitious growth strategy.

With more than 30 years of experience in the IT channel industry, Whitty has held several senior leadership roles at global technology vendor Cisco, where she successfully led UK and European operations.

She most recently served as Group CEO at Ampito. Her experience in strategic leadership, technology, and innovation, combined with a deep understanding of Agilitas' vision will be invaluable as the company expands its presence and continues to evolve within the sector.

Sara Wilkes (She/Her) , CEO of Agilitas said:?“Angela shares our vision and passion for achieving our goals, and her strategic insight and leadership will play a key role in helping us achieve our growth objectives and strengthen our partner relationships.”

Herrett promoted as MD at Alliot Technologies

ProVu Communications Ltd has promoted Craig Herrett to Managing Director of sister company, Alliot Technologies Ltd , as part of a strategic plan to support its further growth.

Since joining ProVu in 2017, Herrett has played a pivotal role in driving the company's success, spearheading numerous strategic initiatives that have been instrumental in ProVu's expansion.

As a founding member of Alliot Technologies, Herrett has made the decision to transition full time to the position of MD to implement his skills and knowledge to support the company’s ongoing forward strategies.

Herrett said: “I remain a shareholder within the business and will continue to follow the progress that the team make; I’m excited to help drive and accelerate growth in the IoT market.”

Xelion signals growth ambitions with new appointment

Xelion has appointed Nick Thompson to its sales team, helping to expand the company’s partner base and boost business growth in the UK.

A well-known figure in the UK telecoms industry, Thompson brings more than 20 years of sales experience from his previous role at NEC Enterprise Solutions as a channel manager.

Thompson commented: “Xelion is the optimum size for a business comms vendor – large enough to deliver a serious proposition to partners, yet agile enough to respond to the ever-changing challenges the channel presents.”

Dave Reynolds , Xelion’s UK Managing Director, said: “Nick’s enthusiasm, knowledge, experience and network are second to none, and I’m?confident that he’ll help us continue to expand our partner base and help more customers simplify communication.

“The last 12 months have been full of milestones for us. We’ve expanded into new markets, added more features and completed a rebrand. Nick’s appointment shows our intention to carry on that trajectory of growth.”

Jola launches partner incentive scheme

Jola Cloud has launched a partner incentive scheme that rewards?businesses’ fastest-growing partners using the company's Mobile Data Revenue Generator – the MRG – which it says will help?find and win mobile data opportunities, simplifying rollouts and saving money.

‘Rev Up’ offers rewards such as?hospitality packages to the British Grand Prix.

As demand for mobile data grows, Jola says partners can meet these to increase ARPU and the overall value of their businesses, using the MRG to find new opportunities.

Cherie Howlett , CMO at Jowlett explained: “We launched the MRG as a tried and tested process to find and win mobile data opportunities, and ‘Rev Up’ is an opportunity for more of our partners to get involved in the MRG and a chance for us to reward and share their success.”

Kaseya report reveals MSP strategies for success in 2025

A new report from Kaseya has revealed both emerging opportunities and challenges for MSPs in EMEA and observes trends that can be used?by those looking for competitive advantages in the new year.

The results of the survey are featured in the State of the MSP Industry 2025 Look Ahead: Trends, Growth and Strategies for Success.

MSPs reported profitability as a top focus in 2025 and are optimistic about their future growth.

Gary Pica , Founder, TruMethods Peer , a Kaseya company, said: “Small and medium-sized businesses are becoming more and more tech savvy – and MSPs are reaping the rewards.

“By streamlining their operations and utilising automation, MSPs are preparing to capitalise on big opportunities in 2025.”

Key findings of the report include focusing on profitability - looking ahead to 2025, 91% of MSPs cited profitability as a priority,?growing their businesses to help them excel financially and adapt pricing structures and spending to deliver better results easily. ?

Despite their concerns about profitability, 64% of MSPs reported revenue increases last year and 67% of them expect further growth over the next three years.

MSPs are finding ways to stand out in the crowd, with smaller MSPs able to find success over larger ones by leveraging their niche expertise.

In the drive for increased growth and profitability, MSPs can use AI-driven tools that increase efficiency by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks.

In spite of the increase in AI-driven attacks in the last 12 months, the report found that top-earning MSPs are using?AI-driven security tools to stay ahead of emerging threats.??

Finally, report findings show the highest earning MSPs offering guidance to smaller MSPs who want to grow: focus on smart growth and be proactive in adopting new technologies and delivering remarkable service – the migration of client workloads to the cloud is key, and 97% of the top earners offer managed security services.

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you next week for the latest news update. Be sure to subscribe at the top of this newsletter to get your copy.