Meridian International, the pan-European computer leasing organisation launched today, September 1, by Swiss-based Inspectorate International AG, has declared that talks are currently going on with seven companies with a view to acquisition. The negotiations are aimed at moving Meridian into un-explored territories – it still has to break into the Scandinavian and Spanish markets among others – and into new computer fields, but it is unwilling to comment any further. Creation of Meridian Computers Ltd, the UK business, was simultaneously announced with intentions to capture around 35% of the UK leasing market by the middle of next year. Meridian International came into being following the acquisition of United Leasing’s European and US operations, and combines these with Inspectorate’s leasing operations in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the US, to generate revenue in excess of UKP500m. Through the merger of United Computers – formerly the London-based business of United Leasing – and CPS Computer Group, acquired late last year by the Inspectorate group to give it a substantial slice of the IBM System 38 and 36 leasing business – Meridian Computers was formed. At present it concentrates almost exclusively on the full IBM range, competing against Atlantic Com-puters, IBL and Econocom. But it is looking to make acquisitions to diversify into the DEC leasing business, although it has no target in mind. Ian Orrock has been appointed chief executive of Meridian International and Meriel Winwood, already president of ECLAT UK and former managing director of United Computers, becomes international marketing director. Meridian Inc, based in Chicago, and Mer-idian International, together account for over 40% of Inspectorate’s turnover; Inspectorate is capita-lised at over UKP1,000m on the Zurich stock exchange.
