Birmingham, Alabama-based IT solutions provider TekLinks has acquired Claris Networks, which offers cloud computing and IT services in Chattanooga, Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee. A TekLinks spokesperson told MSPmentor that terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

TekLinks said the Claris acquisition will help it expand its managed services business. In addition, both companies’ customers will benefit from a broader portfolio of business IT solutions, TekLinks said, along with a deeper network of engineering talent.

“Claris has demonstrated an impressive business model and an extremely focused sales structure; the company is also operationally robust, as evidenced in the explosive growth rate in their managed services business,” TekLinks CEO Jim Akerhielm said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to seeing how our combined efforts and assets will enable us [to] achieve service-delivery excellence for our clients.”

Larry Bodie, Claris’ former CEO, noted that both he and Claris co-owner Dave Sagraves will maintain partial ownership in TekLinks and significant leadership roles in the company.

Bodie also said the acquisition ultimately will enable both Claris and TekLinks “to provide the best service our customers will ever experience, and to be a place [where] our employees love coming to work.”

Both TekLinks and Claris were among the top MSPmentor 501 honorees in the Southeast this year; TekLinks ranked 21 on the MSPmentor 501, while Claris ranked 30 overall.

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