Olivetti Systems & Networks’ subsidiary Office Automation Services has bought the assets of Wang third party maintenance company Oakley Computers Ltd for an undisclosed sum (CI No 1,460). Oakley went into receivership last Thursday when around 40 staff were made redundant by the receivers. Alan Watson, general manager of Olivetti’s maintenance arm, the Customer Support Group, said that he is still assessing Oakley’s business which lost some customers last week, but is hopeful that not too many have gone elsewhere, so that he can re-employ most of Oakley’s staff. Based in Finchampstead, Reading, Oakley had a turnover of UKP3.3m in its 1989 financial year, and Watson is undaunted by the problems that led Oakley into receivership, pointing out that a maintenance base is always a sound business, which just needs correct management to make it profitable. Oakley serves the UK Wang customer base with service centres in Stirling, Coventry, Harlow, West Bromwich and Worthing. Watson says that these centres will remain open as far as the engineers are concerned, though there may be some consolidation where Olivetti already has a centre nearby. Oakley will be integrated into Office Automation Services which specialises in supporting Wang, Wordplex and Xios equipment. To date Olivetti has made approximately 13 acquisitions in the third party maintenance market in Europe including IBIMaint, Ciesse, Radiel and Iachello in Italy, Decision Data in France, Comtech in Belgium and DDI in Denmark. Olivetti claims it can maintain any computer equipment below mainframe level.
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