Aust telecomms consultancies merge

Telecommunications consultancy Gibson Quai has merged with rival Australian service provider AAS Consulting.

Gibson Quai, a subsidiary of the ASX-listed UXC federation of business IT companies, said in a statement that the acquisition would strengthen it in the Australian telecommunications consulting market.

Sydney-headquartered AAS Consulting had branches in Canberra and New Zealand's capital, Wellington. Formerly, Amos Aked Swift, the wholly-Australian owned telecommunications consultancy was founded in 1983.

Dominic Quai, CEO at Gibson Quai, said the merger should expand Gibson Quai's capabilities. "Our two companies have very similar cultures, so we think our existing clients will feel right at home with the merged consultancy," he said.

Quai would head the merged entity, which would be known as Gibson Quai-AAS, he said.

David Swift, MD at AAS Consulting, would continue in "a key executive role" with direct responsibility for the combined Gibson Quai and AAS Consulting offices in Sydney.

"We will enhance our existing portfolio of services, such as our wireless network planning and benchmarking capabilities via Gibson Quai's existing offices and the Telsyte market research business unit," Swift said.

Australian-based Gibson Quai, which was founded in 1988, bought telecommunications-focused market research firm Telsyte in 2002. It has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth.