UK AS/400 systems and services company Catalyst Plc has bought fellow AS/400 shop Pacific Systems International Ltd, to form a 40m pound-business which hopes to float on the London Stock Exchange next year. Catalyst is one of IBM UK’s major AS/400 Business Partners. The combined companies employ more than 300 staff, and will offer what they claim is the most comprehensive range of services and systems currently available from a single source. The new company boasts 15 lines of business, including software development, client-server solutions, disaster recovery, electronic business, enterprise resource planning and data warehousing, hardware supply and technical services and Year 2000 services. The companies had previously worked together, forming a partnership last year known as AssurIT, which offered facilities management and disaster recovery. Pacific was founded in 1985 by AS/400 experts Michael and Paul Newman, who will not be staying with the new company. They said they were selling their interests to enable the new management to take the company to its next phase of growth, and both claim to be pursuing family and other interests. Pacific’s professional services director Steve Gallagher becomes managing director of the new company, which will trade under the umbrella of holding company Catalyst Solutions Plc.
