Private equity, Content

Telecom Consulting M&A: Bluewave Acquires iSymplify, Virtual Telecomm

Jigsaw puzzle with copy space.

Bluewave Technology Group, backed by private equity firm Columbia Capital, remains in acquisition mode. Recent deals include acquiring cloud and telecom advisory agencies iSymplify and Virtual Telecomm. Financial terms of each deal were not disclosed.

These are technology M&A deals number 975 and 976 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2022. See more than 2,000 technology M&A deals involving MSPs, MSSPs & IT service providers listed here.

Bluewave Acquires Two Telecom Advisory Agencies: Deal Details

Here's a closer look at the two sellers and the buyer:

Seller 1: iSymplify, founded in 2008, is based in St. Charles, Missouri. The company has seven employees listed on LinkedIn. Key iSymplify areas of expertise include SD-WAN, contact center, hosted PBX and iunified cloud communication services. The company has helped partners and customers to deploy 15,000+ cloud-ready network nodes and over 50,000 cloud seats.

iSymplify's owners, Lorie Burkemper and Brad Burkemper, are now  managing partners at Bluewave.

Seller 2: Virtual Telecomm, founded in 2004, is based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company has 15 employees listed on LinkedIn. Key Virtual Telecomm areas of expertise include cloud, managed and security services.

Virtual Telecomm's Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Mark White; Vice President of Partnerships, Michael White; and President, Jason Hulsewede will join Bluewave as Ambassadors and equity partners.

Moreover, the Virtual Telecomm team will join the company and continue providing strategic IT advisory services and excellent support to the expanded client base.

Buyer: Bluewave Technology Group, found in 2016, is based in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company has 72 employees listed on LinkedIn -- though Bluewave says overall headcount is nearing 100 employees.

Bluewave positions itself as a "strategic IT advisory company that offers businesses a simple and comprehensive way to purchase communication and information technology solutions that help grow revenue, reduce costs, or improve efficiency."

Bluewave helps customers to navigate Technology Evaluation, Strategic Sourcing, Expense Management, and Operations Support.

Bluewave Buys iSymplify: Executive Perspectives

In a prepared statement about the iSymplify acquisition, Bluewave CEO Seth Penland said:

"Our goal is to help businesses scale their operations efficiently and effectively while seizing innovation with the guidance of our best-in-class industry advisors. We are excited to welcome the iSymplify team and expand our presence in the greater St. Louis area. Together, our joint resources expand our capabilities and emphasize our commitment to clients who need first-class technology advisory services."

Added Lorie Burkemper, founder and president of iSymplify:

"After almost 15 years of growth, we considered many options to expand our capabilities and better support our clients' evolving technology needs. Joining like-minded Bluewave allows us to further invest in our team and clients around solution consulting, expense management, and high-touch account management, as well as gain access to more robust processes and systems to provide clients with better insights and data to drive the best technology decisions."

Bluewave Buys Virtual Telecomm: Executive Perspectives

In a prepared statement about the Virtual Telecomm acquisition, Bluewave CEO Seth Penland said:

"Mark, Michael, and Jason have created a great company. Their vision aligns with Bluewave's purpose: to help companies purchase and manage technology in a better way that optimizes their business outcomes. We are excited to welcome the Virtual Telecomm team and have their leadership team's guidance going forward as we build upon the strong foundation established in Louisville."

Added Mark White, founder and chief strategy officer of Virtual Telecomm.

"We believe that there has never been a more important time for companies to have the right solutions to compete in today's economy. We are thrilled to join forces with the ever-growing Bluewave team, who shares our values and believes in the continued investment across the company to ensure our customers have the best experience and ultimately achieve the best outcomes from their IT investments."

Bluewave has now acquired six businesses since around November 2021. One earlier deal, in February 2022, involved technology advisory and expense management firm Telapprise.

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.