Aptos aquires BT Expedite
Aptos, Inc., a recognized market leader in retail technology solutions, has announced that it has acquired BT Expedite, the exclusive reseller of Aptos solutions in Europe.
The company said the acquisition creates a direct relationship with European retailers and establishes in-region expertise to power global expansion and cloud deployments.
Included in the transaction is a clienteling application currently resold by Aptos in North America, a retail learning management system, the Mercatus merchandising platform, and an eCommerce platform, FrescaCommerce. The transaction was finalized on 30 September.
The acquisition has enabled Aptos to establish a strategic and immediate market presence in Europe including a direct relationship with BT Expedite’s customers – nearly 100 retailers with operations in 13 countries including WH Smith, Primark, Supergroup and Mothercare. Prior to the acquisition, BT Expedite was the retail IT software specialist division within BT.
“The acquisition of BT Expedite is the natural progression of this decade-long partnership, and the next step in Engaging Customers Differently across the globe,” said Noel Goggin, Aptos chief executive and culture leader. “We welcome the BT Expedite customers to the Aptos family, and look forward to helping them create differentiated and seamless experiences for their customers, no matter when, where or how they shop. For Aptos’ Americas-based customers, the acquisition creates a direct entry point to the European market, offering local expertise and an experienced technical team that is critical to their expansion efforts.”
With the acquisition final, Aptos will now fully integrate the two organizations — a process made simpler as a result of the companies’ shared solutions and long-standing partnership.
“As the mainstay of BT Expedite’s business was focused on selling and servicing Aptos solutions such as POS, CRM, and Audit and Operations Management, the integration of the two companies and their respective product portfolios offers tremendous synergies and very low product overlap,” said Ian Rawlins, Aptos strategy leader. “The acquisition also presents a significant opportunity to introduce the complete Aptos Singular Commerce platform to European retailers, including the latest versions of Aptos solutions such as Merchandising, Analytics and Enterprise Order Management.”
To support its mission of ‘Engaging Customers Differently’ in Europe, Aptos has hired Steve Towe as its European managing director. Towe, an experienced technology and retail executive, most recently served as managing director for Masternaut. Prior roles included leadership positions at Cybit, TrafficMaster and WH Smith.
In his new role, Towe will oversee Aptos’ European operations, including its dedicated team of colleagues who are based in the United Kingdom. These colleagues, who are already familiar with Aptos, its solutions and the needs of its customers, will help Aptos extend its global leadership as an end-to-end software partner for retailers.
“In our discussions with BT Expedite customers, there is a lot of excitement around Aptos’ cloudready solutions and the ability to leverage the cloud for improved scalability and speed-to-value, while freeing up resources to focus on business growth and innovation,” said Goggin. “European retailers have also consistently expressed growing interest in Aptos Enterprise Order Management and its ability to serve as a unified commerce hub, connecting physical and digital channels to profitably manage all orders and establish one version of truth across the enterprise.”
Jason Wright, a senior partner at Apax Partners, the private equity firm that owns Aptos, is equally positive about Aptos’ ability to support the needs of European retailers.
“Aptos is well-positioned for continued long-term growth through its leading retail technology and relentless focus on Engaging Customers Differently,” said Wright. “We are excited about the acquisition, which immediately extends the Aptos customer base and European presence.”
