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Datatec’s ICT services arm, Logicalis UK&I, has acquired the UK consultancy Q Associates in a move aimed at deepening its advisory capabilities and expanding its services portfolio. The takeover underscores Datatec’s shift from traditional infrastructure to higher-margin consultancy and managed services.
Logicalis said the acquisition will “add complementary capabilities to core expertise in digital infrastructure, networking and cloud.” Q Associates brings deep relationships in sectors including higher education, government, security services and regulation, as well as commercial enterprises across finance, legal, transport and energy.
Jens Montanana, chief executive of Datatec, framed the deal as reinforcing Logicalis’s ability to serve clients navigating complex digital transformations and to cross-sell advisory services alongside infrastructure contracts.
A strategic shift toward advisory, not just hardware
For years, Datatec has been known primarily as a distributor and integrator of technology hardware through its Westcon arm. But the Q Associates acquisition signals the company’s intention to blur the lines between infrastructure and consulting — aligning with global trends in which systems integrators morph into solution consultancies.
Analysts note the appeal: advisory and advisory-linked revenue generally carry better margins, are stickier, and can feed recurring business. With Q Associates embedded, Logicalis UK&I can closer tailor services in data strategy, compliance, regulation and digital transformation — areas that drive decisions at institutional and public-sector levels.
Q Associates’s footprint and what it brings
Q Associates is no startup. The consultancy has been delivering IT solutions and strategy to UK universities, research organizations, government security services and commercial clients for years. The firm holds advanced technical accreditations with Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, NetApp and Rubrik — credentials that enhance Logicalis’s vendor alignment and credibility in advisory engagements.
Inheriting Q Associates gives Logicalis UK&I stronger entry into regulated sectors like defense, higher education and government, where advisory skills are mission-critical. It also broadens the customer base for cross-selling cloud, infrastructure and managed services.
Risks, integration and future prospects
Acquisitions of consultancy firms often falter at integration. Cultural alignment, retention of key talent and coherence of service delivery models are common pitfalls. Logicalis’s challenge will be weaving Q Associates’ advisory DNA into its existing infrastructure operations without creating internal friction or role confusion.
Success could accelerate Logicalis’s transformation from technologist to trusted advisor. As Datatec positions Logicalis UK&I and its broader services arm for future growth, the firm may replicate this blueprint in other geographies. Should that happen, the group would inch closer to the business models of global players like Accenture or Capgemini — but from a rooted presence in Asia, Africa and Europe.
