In a bid to broaden the base of its commercial systems business, Star Computer Group Plc, which claims to be the largest supplier of computer systems to the UK accountancy profession, has acquired systems house Pinnacle Computer Systems Ltd. Pinnacle markets field service maintenance systems largely to the computer industry itself (it boasts custom from Motorola, Torch, Harris Systems and ICL Jamaica, as well as Star itself), using software written in the Sculptor fourth generation. The successful bid, which gives Star 51% of the issued share capital of Pinnacle, comes after an unsuccessful approach by competitors Optim last November. According to Pinnacle’s Ian Cauldwell, privately-owned Pinnacle was too small a company to take advantage of the increasing number of major accounts emerging. Pinnacle currently has 23 systems installed, and says it is adding more at an average rate of two a month. Recent research puts the size of this market at up to 3,500 systems over the next five years. The main competition comes from DEC suppliers Compustatic, and Unix systems house Optim. Although Star is a distributor of Convergent Technologies machines, Pinnacle says it will continue to offer customers a choice of boxes, including Altos and Honeywell, as well as the IBM 6150 recently taken on by Star. Star is paying a mere UKP40,000 up-front for the 51%, and a maximum of UKP150,000 more depending on profits through 1990.
