Leading technology firms Appsbroker Ltd (“Appsbroker”) and Cloud Technology Solutions Group (“CTS”) today announced a strategic merger to form the largest Google Cloud-only digital consultancy in Europe.

The two Google Premier Partners will become a single, united company for both strategic consulting and engineering, meeting the rapidly growing demand for seamless AI, martech, data, and cloud security solutions that deliver real business impact.

With a customer base that already includes major household names, the agreement will further boost expansion goals in industries like financial services, retail, manufacturing, and the public sector – both in the UK and across the EMEA region.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company will be led by Tom Ray, CEO of CTS, with Mike Conner, Founder and CEO of Appsbroker, joining the Group Investment Board. CTS’ majority-shareholder, Marlin Equity Partners, will become the largest shareholder of the new company, with NorthEdge Capital maintaining a minority stake.

Tom Ray, CEO, said: “We’re incredibly excited about what this strategic merger means for our customers and our people. From countering cyber threats, to unlocking the true potential of AI, there is now a huge opportunity to leverage the full spectrum of Google Cloud capabilities to deliver real impact for businesses. CTS and Appsbroker house some of the industry’s foremost cloud experts, with over 420 Google certifications and numerous industry awards. Bringing our standout teams together under one roof puts us in a strong position to drive the future of digital transformation.”

Mike Conner said: “Appsbroker and CTS have partnered with Google Cloud for over 15 years. In that time, we have grown rapidly and delivered success in premium professional and managed services to many of Google’s most important customers. With little overlap across our combined customer base and strong shared values, it made real sense for us to come together to create the largest concentration of Google Cloud talent in Europe. We are both committed to delivering high-impact transformational projects, so scale is important to ensure our customers have access to the skills and training to fully leverage the burgeoning Google Cloud AI, data, and security opportunity.

As two of the most recognised brands in the Google Cloud ecosystem, the companies will initially continue to operate under their existing names, with a single name for the newly-merged company to be announced in due course.

Pictured: The extraordinary made possible – Mike Conner (L) and Tom Ray (R) leading the way