NCS will acquire a majority stake in Eighty20 Solutions, an Australian cloud transformation specialist, to continue scaling its market presence in Australia.
Eighty20 is expected to further boost NCS’ NEXT capabilities to support Australian clients in their digital transformation journey with its end-to-end suite of solutions across cloud, business applications, workplace modernisation, and managed services.
“Since starting our operations last December, we have expanded our presence in Australia with the launch of NCS NEXT Cloud Centre of Excellence and the recent acquisition of Riley, a cloud consultancy with dedicated expertise in Google cloud applications said,” Andre Conti, head of NEXT Solutions at NCS Australia.
“The addition of Eighty20’s unique capabilities in digital, cloud and workplace transformation across Microsoft cloud platforms will complement our existing technology practices, allowing us to meet the needs of our clients with a ‘best-of-cloud’ service portfolio,” said Conti.
He said that Eighty20’s offerings across Microsoft cloud platforms, combined with Riley’s dedicated expertise in Google Cloud applications, adds to NCS’ NEXT’s cloud capabilities and comprehensive portfolio of cloud services in AWS, Google and Microsoft.
A Microsoft Gold Partner, Eighty20 specialises in cloud transformation with a blue-chip client portfolio in the financial services, energy, government, healthcare, IT, manufacturing, and retail industries. Its clientele includes Woolworths, Suncorp, TPG, New South Wales Department of Education, and Boral
The investment in Eighty20 will further grow NCS’ headcount in Australia over the next few years. This is further bolstered by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in August with the State Government of Victoria, represented by Invest Victoria, as well as the Department of Treasury and Finance, to create 500 new digital jobs.
Eighty20 will continue to run independently under NCS with all employees continuing in their current roles within the companies. Founders John Kelly and Justin Rees will retain a significant minority stake and will retain their roles within the business.
“This strategic partnership between Eighty20 and NCS illustrates our continued drive to provide best of breed digital transformation solutions to our clients and the market,” said Kelly. “It allows us to leverage the scale, technical depth, and geographic footprint of NCS, while continuing our mission to deliver tier-one consulting services with a boutique feel.”
