Top Avaya VARs Merge: SPS Buys Imagine Technologies

Financial terms of the acquisition, which was formally announced Tuesday, were not disclosed. The merger of the two companies will create a single company, to be called Strategic Products and Services, that will employ 470 people in 30 cities.

Imagine's focus vendors include Avaya, Cisco, HP, Microsoft, LifeSize and Aruba Networks. The company was named U.S. Channel Partner of the Year for Greatest Growth in Acquiring New Enterprise Customers at Avaya's recent U.S. channel partner conference in Las Vegas.

Jody GrandPre, president and principal of Centennial, Colo.-based Imagine, will become sales director for SPS' newly formed Mountain West sales office, while Paula Morton, Imagine principal, will become a specialist within SPS' Contact Center practice.

"Imagine has an award-winning team and financially sound business," said John Poole, SPS' president and CEO, in a statement. "Their footprint extends SPS' local reach into new areas and provides a strong base of business to sport and grow over time. The former Imagine team now has access to specialized teams and global resources to provide larger, more complex solutions to new and existing customers."

SPS, ranked No. 68 on this year's CRN Fast Growth 100 list, is an Avaya Platinum partner and also focuses on Microsoft, Cisco, HP and other vendors. The company has been active in Avaya channel M&A activity in the past two years, including acquisitions of of Spenser Communications in February 2011 and Consultedge in August 2010. Both VARs were Avaya Platinum partners.