WEST Perth-based ComputerCORP Ltd has reached an agreement to buy Queensland IT firm Coretech for up to $4.2 million in staged cash and share payments over two years. The Coretech deal comes two weeks after the Domenic Martino-chaired ComputerCORP said it had terminated an agreement to buy Melbournebased IT firm Leading Solutions for more than $28 million. Coretech generates annual sales of $30 million, while ComputerCORP has annual sales of $143 million, split between Western Australia (40 per cent) and other states. Established in 1991, Coretech has grown to a team of more than 50 staff and supports its customers throughout Queensland from offices in Brisbane, Maroochydore, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast. Coretech is one of four successful panel members supplying to the Education Queensland Preferred Supplier Arrangement awarded in September 2006. In August 2007, the company won the contract to supply 8,000 notebooks to Queensland school teachers as part of the Department of Education and Training ‘computers for teachers’ initiative. Through its specialist Education services division, Coretech has developed a School Network Management Solution. The owners and senior management team of Coretech, Garry Holmes (CEO), David Wain (sales director) and Stuart Rose (operations director) will continue with Coretech and have signed service agreements with ComputerCORP for a two-year period to June 2010. The purchase price will be in the order of $2.4 million and will be payable, subject to the conditions precedent being fulfilled, over a two-year period depending on profit performance of the combined operations. ComputerCORP said its board believes that the acquisition of Coretech is in line with its strategy of achieving critical mass on the east coast and believes it will have a positive financial impact on the company. Meanwhile Unisys Australia is looking to recruit 26 IT staff in WA, out of 380 it is recruiting nationally, to deliver on its support services contract with the Department of Defence. This will include defence staff currently involved in IT service delivery. “While Canberra will be the hub of the Unisys defence program, the roles in Western Australia will support defence personnel and operations at the Leeuwin Barracks, RAAF Base Pearce, HMAS Stirling, and Campbell Barracks,” Unisys senior HR business partner, Dominic Welfare, said.
