ACS Acquires CyberRep

Acquisitions big and small continue to pop up in the news as the first quarter of 2003 marches on. The latest consolidation involves ACS, a Dallas-based Fortune 1,000 company that specializes in IT and business-process outsourcing (BPO). ACS has announced that it has acquired CyberRep in an attempt to bolster its BPO offerings.

CyberRep is a McLean, VA-based company that offers customer care and CRM services to a number of different markets, including wireless communications and telecommunications companies. According to a statement release by both companies, CyberRep reported earnings in excess of $60 million for the 2002 calendar year, a year in which it reportedly handled more than 20 million customer care transactions.

In a statement released late last week, Lynn Blodgett, ACS group president of BPO solutions, explained how bringing CyberRep into the fold with ACS betters the company's chances of success in the future. "CRM solutions are one of the fastest-growing segments in the BPO services industry," Blodgett said. "This strategic acquisition enhances ACS's business-process outsourcing solutions by adding world-class customer care center capabilities, a terrific management team, and the intelligent application of cutting-edge technology."

Even the most conservative estimates see CRM services like contact centers being a multibillion-dollar business over the next several years. Such forecasts are driving acquisitions both domestically, as in this case, and globally, as it is in cases like ICICI OneSource's consolidation of contact center companies in India.

As of press time, neither CyberRep nor ACS could be reached for comment on the deal. Terms of the acquisition were not released.