The UK’s number one Texas Instruments reseller, Radius Plc, has bought the assets of Amstrong Micro Electronics Ltd for UKP500,000. It is the Unlisted Securities Market counter’s second purchase of a Unix specialist in the last 10 months. At Christmas (CI No 589), the Hull-based company bought systems house Advanced Business Technology Ltd from P & W McClelland Plc for what was described as a nominal sum. The diversifications come at a time when Texas Instruments is itself moving into Unix, away from its proprietary offerings. The Armstrong deal gives Radius a further 15 staff with Unix ex-perience, to add to the 45 that came with ABT. It also means the end of Armstrong’s 68020-based line. Having outgrown its national maintenance centre in Birmingham, Radius will move the whole operation into Armstrong’s nearby Darlaston, West Midlands plant. Armstrong customers wishing to upgrade will be offered Data General, Olivetti and Texas Instruments’ Unix-boxes instead. Armstrong Micro Electronics’ former owner, Armstrong Equipment Plc, says it sold the business to concentrate on its core motor component manufacturing activities.
