ACT Group Plc, the Birmingham-based software and services company which was formerly part of Apricot Computers until Mitsubishi bought up its hardware activities in 1990, has formally announced the start up of ACT Network Si, a new division dedicated to providing network-based systems integration to large corporate and government customers (CI No 1,804). The mission of the new division, a spin-off of ACT’s Computer Support business to be headed by Chris Winn, is to design, implement and support company-wide networked systems for large national organisations with multi-vendor computing environments, the emphasis on one-stop shopping. The new division employs 45 dedicated staff – mainly in sales – though the activity will draw on the staff resources of the existing ACT divisions. The services offered by ACT Network Si will include network management services; installations of multi-vendor systems and software; design of communications infrastructures; and engineering services. The new division will focus primarily on the UK – ACT says its representation abroad is largely confined to ACT Financial Systems, now the group’s largest division, generating an annual UKP60m to UKP70m. ACT, which is projecting turnover of some UKP120m for the current year, says it still has considerable cash balances and can afford further acquisitions to strengthen the Midlands group’s position in its existing vertical markets: health care, the utilities, central government and finance.
