IT distribution, Mergers and Acquisitions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Content, Private equity

Avant Acquires PlanetOne; Next-Gen Technology Distributor and Master Agent Unite

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Avant, backed by private equity firm Pamlico Capital, has acquired PlanetOne in a bid to unite distribution, master agent, telecom and IT services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is technology M&A deal number 471 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2022. See more than 1,000 technology M&A deals involving MSPs, MSSPs & IT service providers listed here.

Avant, based in Chicago, Illinois, has 166 employees listed on LinkedIn. Avant's distribution business supports partners across the cloud, colocation and telecom services sector. Key areas of focus include Unified Communications as  Service (UCaaS), Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), security and connectivity. In terms of intellectual property, Avant has developed Pathfinder, a platform that speeds IT decision making.

PlanetOne, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has 50 employees listed on LinkedIn. The company is a master agent and technology sourcing firm form partners in the IT and telecom industry. Key areas of focus include collaboration & voice, connectivity, security, mobility and cloud. On the intellectual property front, PlanetOne promotes Sentient, an AI-powered sales engagement and partner enablement platform.

Avant Acquires PlanetOne: Executive Perspectives

Drew Lydecker
Drew Lydecker
Ian Kieninger

In a prepared statement about the deal, Avant Co-Founder and CEO Ian Kieninger said:

“The acquisition of PlanetOne is an instant multiplier for the people, partners and providers working with and for AVANT and PlanetOne.”

Added Avant President and Co-Founder Drew Lydecker:

“PlanetOne’s relentless focus on partner success and satisfaction, combined with AVANT’s reputation for being a true growth partner in powering the next-generation technology decisions made for CIOs and IT leaders, sets the stage for achieving even greater success together and at scale for our partners and providers.”

Chris Werpy
Ted Schuman

Noted Ted Schuman, founder and CEO of PlanetOne:

“The synergies gained from merging the sales excellence and technical talent of AVANT with the back-office, operational efficiencies and partner enablement energy of PlanetOne were undeniable – it was the right deal at the right time and for the right reasons."

Concluded Chris Werpy, PlanetOne president and COO:

“One of the best aspects of this move is where there are synergies and separations in the AVANT and PlanetOne models there are incredible and immediate opportunities for our people, partners and providers to grow the business together."

At Avant, Schuman now shifts to customer experience officer (CXO) and Werpy becomes chief innovation officer (CIO).

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.