A California-based company is acquiring a Tampa-based IT software provider that plans to continue its local growth in the coming years.
San Jose-based Serviceaide has acquired SunView Software, a provider of intelligent, IT and enterprise service management solutions.
Conversations between the two entities began back in 2019, before Wai Wong, founder and CEO of Serviceaide, decided the timing wasn't right. But as SunView continued to grow, with the arrival of 2021 came a return to the conversation.
"We got down to brass tacks talking about how to put the company together," Wong said. "What's the synergy, the outcomes to get the best of both worlds? From a market, customer and employee perspective, the companies fit together really well."
All 43 of SunView employees stayed on board, according to Mike Hechler, the company's senior VP for sales, North America said. He was brought on roughly three years ago to help grow the company and look at potential acquisition strategies.
"When SunView started, we were very clear about the fact, specifically with our industry, there is consolidation going on," he said. "I think it's just very important to add surface size to markets, and over the last two and a half years we've had very good growth and we're very excited for the opportunities we have now that we have been acquired."
Hechler doubled down that the company would be keeping its Brandon office.
"We will be building it out; it's a core hub for customers and to see products and services," Hechler said. "It's easy to attract people here. If you need to get around the U.S. or overseas, it's a good place to be."
Serviceaide hopes to increase SunView's employee base by roughly 20%. It also wants to double the size of the company as a whole in the next 12 months to hit roughly 200 employees.
"I've been pretty impressed with the Tampa Bay area," Wong said, who added he spends roughly a week a month in the region. "The eastern seaboard is ideal for us as another hub, because we're talking across all different time zones. It's also a great office, great location and from a people perspective, we have a concentration in the Tampa office that we’re actively recruiting into."
