Maybe they will call it DattoTask? Some breaking news of another “not too surprising” merger as tech investors continue to gobble up more brands to build out their portfolio. These are two great channel friendly companies and the hope is that the 1+1 = 3 and more importantly, how will this merger benefit the channel.
The obvious challenge for the channel with these types of mergers is the issue of being neutral with competitive or third-party product integration. As we digest this and talk with other vendors, we will see how it all pans out. More to come…
A combined management team will lead the merged entity with Datto Founder and Chief Executive Officer Austin McChord as CEO. Autotask CEO Mark Cattini will continue to work closely with Austin and the combined team as a strategic advisor to the Board of Directors. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017. Terms of the deal will not be disclosed. Datto was advised by Morgan Stanley on the sale.
The combined organizations have approximately 1,300 employees with offices in nine countries. Their nearly 13,000 customers service more than 500,000 SMBs in 125 countries worldwide.
“We’re thrilled to bring together the complementary skills and world-class service of two global market leaders, Autotask and Datto,” said Brian Sheth, Co-Founder and President of Vista Equity Partners. “Over the past three years, we have worked closely with the Autotask team to accelerate growth and expand its Unified Platform. Bringing Autotask together with Datto’s impressive talent and deep expertise in backup and networking solutions will take us to the next level and deliver extraordinary tools and services to MSPs worldwide.”
“With the powerful combination of the Autotask Unified PSA-RMM platform and Datto’s industry leading business continuity solutions, together we can now deliver unprecedented innovation and unmatched levels of value and service to our customers and partners worldwide,” said Mark Cattini, President and CEO, Autotask. “This merger marks a natural step in our evolution as we continue to bring more managed service offerings to the channel. We look forward to using our combined scale to do even more to help our customers grow, succeed and increase profitability. We are excited to get going.”
“We’re honored to be joining forces with both the world’s premier software investor, Vista Equity Partners, and with Autotask, the provider of the most essential tools for the MSP space” said Datto’s founder and CEO, Austin McChord. “This unique combination of talent with a track record of success marks a new chapter that will make an even bigger impact for our Managed Service Provider partners, by delivering an unprecedented set of capabilities for them to serve millions of small businesses in the future.”
