UK ISP TalkTalk Business Acquires Planet IT to Improve its Support

Business broadband and Ethernet provider TalkTalk Business (TTB), which was demerged from the TalkTalk Group and sold to the group’s own shareholders for £95m in Oct 2023 (here), has today announced the acquisition of Oxfordshire-based IT support provider, supplier and cybersecurity specialist Planet IT for an undisclosed sum.

According to TTB, the “strategic move” is designed to strengthen both organisations and their ability to support businesses across the UK with “secure, reliable technology services“. The deal is also said to mark another step in TTB’s evolution from a traditional connectivity provider into a managed network services provider.

“The acquisition combines Planet IT’s expertise with TalkTalk Business’s national reach connectivity solutions, advanced networking and UC solutions. This enhances each organisation’s ability to help businesses across the UK adopt cloud technologies, embrace hybrid working and accelerate digital transformation,” said the announcement.

Ruth Kennedy, CEO at TalkTalk Business, said:

“Bringing Planet IT into TalkTalk Business is an important step in expanding our managed services capabilities.

Planet IT’s strong technical capability, experienced team and loyal customer base complement our strengths in connectivity, while its culture and customer-first approach closely align with our own values.

Together, we can offer customers a more comprehensive technology proposition, supporting organisations as they adopt cloud platforms, strengthen security and enable modern ways of working.”

Gavin Jones, Co-CEO at Planet IT, said:

“Over the past two decades, we have built a strong reputation for delivering high quality IT support and services. Joining TalkTalk Business gives us the scale and investment to build on that success.

My co-founder Sean Smith and I will remain with the business, along with our leadership team, directors and staff, so our customers and suppliers will continue working with the same people they know and trust.

Demand for secure managed IT services continues to grow as organisations rely more heavily on cloud platforms and digital infrastructure. Joining TalkTalk Business means we’ll be able to offer our customers a wider range of services, and support their growth more effectively, while continuing to deliver the high-quality service our customers expect.”

The deal represents the first big move since TTB announced last month that it was “now operating as a fully independent organisation“ (here) with “full autonomy over strategy, investment and systems“, which they hope will form a part in accelerating their future growth.

Planet IT’s founders, Gavin Jones and Sean Smith, will continue to lead the business, alongside the existing leadership team, ensuring continuity for customers, partners and employees.