30 April 2026
April has underscored a theme that has been building all year: global buyers and PE-backed platforms are actively consolidating the ANZ technology services market. The month's standout deal, US-based Integris announcing its intent to acquire First Focus. This puts an exclamation mark on a managed services consolidation wave that has been gathering pace since January. Alongside it, a Japanese technology giant buying Melbourne cloud expertise, a PE-backed roll-up deepening its healthcare IT footprint, and a cybersecurity bolt-on rounding out a growing security practice. And anchoring it all, a A$25 billion commitment from Microsoft that reframes the scale of what's coming for Australia's AI infrastructure.
27 April 2026 | Undisclosed
In what is the largest ANZ managed services deal announced so far in 2026, US-based Integris, backed by OMERS Private Equity has announced its intent to acquire First Focus, Australia’s largest SMB-focused managed service provider.
Once completed, the transaction will significantly expand Integris’ international footprint and position it as one of the largest MSPs serving small and midsize businesses worldwide.
Founded in 2003, First Focus has grown to nearly 400 staff and supports more than 800 businesses across Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. It offers managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud, AI, software development, and support services. The company has completed 15 acquisitions, most recently acquiring CNX in New Zealand’s South Island in March 2026, which established a national platform there.
This marks Integris’ first move outside North America. Instead of a greenfield entry or small tuck-in, the company has acquired the leading SMB platform in the region, backed by OMERS’ capital and a clear mandate to build a global, AI-ready managed services business.
The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close later in 2026. First Focus will continue operating under its existing leadership team.
2 April 2026 | Undisclosed
NEC Australia has acquired Exco Partners, a Melbourne-based Microsoft cloud, data, and AI consultancy with a team of approximately 60 professionals. Exco Partners will continue as a dedicated business unit within NEC Australia.
Exco specialises in digital transformation across four key practice areas: Design, Data, Engineering, and Delivery. The firm brings strong Microsoft partnership credentials and proven delivery experience in complex government case management solutions.
The acquisition strengthens NEC’s capabilities in cloud, data, and AI, complementing its existing strengths in IT managed services, unified communications, biometrics, and digital government solutions.
The deal follows a familiar pattern of Japanese technology firms using targeted ANZ acquisitions to build depth in high-growth areas. With NEC Australia already well established in government and regulated industries, Exco adds the cloud and data engineering expertise needed to compete more effectively for next-generation digital transformation projects, particularly as AI adoption accelerates across the public sector.
8 April 2026 | Undisclosed
Virtual IT Group (VITG), a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, has acquired Security Centric, a Sydney-based cybersecurity consultancy specialising in governance, risk and compliance (GRC), security operations centre (SOC) monitoring, and penetration testing.
The Security Centric team joins VITG’s growing security practice, creating a combined group of approximately 45 cybersecurity specialists. Founder Sasho Vasilevski has been appointed VITG’s Chief Security Officer.
VITG, headquartered in Shellharbour, NSW, operates ten offices across Australia and New Zealand and employs more than 400 people.
The acquisition is a clear example of private equity-driven consolidation in the mid-market cybersecurity sector. Riverside is building VITG into a full-service technology platform for mid-market organisations, and Security Centric fills a key gap in specialist consulting and managed SOC services. As larger players like CyberCX are absorbed by global firms and the independent cyber market fragments, well-positioned operators such as VITG are well placed to acquire specialist capability and client relationships in a market where demand continues to outstrip supply.
9 April 2026 | Undisclosed
Advent Partners-backed technology consultancy efex has continued its national expansion with the acquisition of Priority 1 Technology Solutions (Priority 1 IT), a Queensland-based managed services provider focused on the healthcare sector.
This is efex’s seventh acquisition in approximately two years, bringing its total to around a dozen deals.
Established in 2013, Priority 1 IT serves more than 600 medical centres, healthcare practitioners, and businesses across Brisbane and the Darling Downs region with a team of around a dozen professionals. The business is a recognised leader in regional healthcare IT, a vertical characterised by high regulatory complexity, data sensitivity, and the need for deep clinical workflow integration.
efex is executing a disciplined buy-and-build strategy, targeting regionally strong, vertically focused MSPs that enhance both geographic reach and sector expertise. Healthcare remains a strategic priority: demand for specialised IT is rising rapidly with the growth of digital health, telehealth, and stricter data compliance requirements. Providers who truly understand clinical environments continue to command a premium.
23 April 2026 | A$25 billion
While not an M&A transaction, this is arguably the most significant technology investment announcement in Australia this year. Microsoft has committed A$25 billion to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure across the country, the largest single investment ever made by a technology company in Australia.
The funding, to be deployed by the end of 2029, covers new and expanded data centre capacity, AI research partnerships, enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, and the largest AI skilling program in Australian history, with a target to train three million people by 2028.
It continues a wave of hyperscale commitments to Australia, including OpenAI’s earlier AUD $7 billion NEXTDC campus announcement. These investments signal that global technology companies increasingly view Australia not only as a customer market but as a strategic sovereign infrastructure hub for the broader APAC region.
For the M&A market, the implications are substantial. Microsoft’s build-out will drive strong demand for local cloud engineering, AI consulting, cybersecurity, and data sovereignty expertise. This is precisely the type of capability NEC sought through its acquisition of Exco Partners earlier in April. As hyperscaler footprints grow, companies operating at the intersection of cloud services, AI deployment, and regulated industry knowledge are likely to become even more attractive acquisition targets.
31 March 2026 | Undisclosed
ASI Solutions has acquired JTC Technology, a Sydney-based IT services provider with more than 25 years of experience supporting schools across New South Wales.
All 60+ JTC staff have transitioned to ASI Solutions. The business will continue to serve its existing customers while progressively integrating into ASI’s broader managed services portfolio.
JTC Technology provides on-site and managed IT support to approximately 100 schools in the Sydney metropolitan area, Central Coast, Newcastle, and Lower Hunter regions. Its clients include a mix of NSW Department of Education and independent schools. The company has built its reputation on long-term relationships and a deep understanding of technology requirements in school environments.
Education IT is an attractive vertical for acquirers, characterised by predictable recurring revenue, high switching costs, and growing complexity driven by the adoption of digital learning platforms, cybersecurity frameworks, and cloud infrastructure.
For ASI Solutions, the acquisition enhances geographic density in NSW while adding specialist education-sector expertise that complements its existing managed services, modern workplace, and infrastructure offerings.
29 April 2026 | ~US$600 million
Cognizant has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Astreya, a global AI-first IT managed services and solutions provider, for approximately US$600 million. This marks Cognizant's latest major move to deepen its presence in the infrastructure layer powering the AI buildout.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in San Jose, California, Astreya operates in more than 35 countries and has built long-standing relationships with six of the "Magnificent Seven" tech companies. The firm specialises in data centre infrastructure, managed workplace services, and production-grade AI deployment and operations. Its capabilities are supported by a proprietary platform-led approach (including tools such as its AI OpsHub) that encompasses readiness assessments, signal intelligence, analytics, and agentic automation. With nearly 25 years of experience operating at hyperscaler scale, Astreya brings battle-tested expertise in managing complex, mission-critical environments.
For Cognizant, the acquisition advances its transformation into an “AI builder”, extending beyond traditional consulting and systems integration into owning and operating the managed infrastructure required to turn AI strategies into scalable operational reality. As global data centre buildouts accelerate, demand for specialised partners capable of designing, deploying, and running AI environments at enterprise scale continues to outpace supply.
The timing is notable: the deal was announced in the same week that Microsoft revealed its A$25 billion commitment to expand Azure AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, and skills training in Australia through 2029, one of the largest single-country investments in the company’s history.
Astreya’s proven track record serving the world’s most demanding hyperscale environments gives Cognizant immediate, pre-built capacity in a market where talent and operational expertise remain key constraints. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
