Aconex acquires partner Grazer

Melbourne, Australia-based SaaS construction collaboration specialist Aconex today announced that it had acquired Adelaide-based Grazer, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition – Aconex’s first – was from mid-2011 an Aconex software partner (post), providing digitised operation and maintenance manuals.

I spoke to Aconex CEO and co-founder Lee Jasper and to Chris Dobbyn (general manager, corporate development) in a hastily arranged telephone conference call last week. Lee confirmed that the past 12 months had confirmed to Aconex that there was a real customer demand for Grazer’s services, which complemented Aconex’s core focus on design and construction.

The two companies shared clients before the partnership (HindMarsh, for example – video case study), and Chris said they had since “also been successful with a number of our Tier 1 contractors and owners, across education, health, mining, retail etc.” The intention is now to take Grazer’s technology beyond its core Australasian market and offer the new Aconex service internationally.

A good alignment is vital, Lee said, and Aconex will be looking at other partnerships and alliances which provide evolving, complementary technologies. In October 2011 (post), Aconex announced an international partnership programme including partners in north and south America and Europe.

Aconex will assimilate the 12-strong Grazer business into the main group, it will adopt Aconex branding and form the basis of a new product category within Aconex’s portfolio, I was told. Aconex already has staff based in Adelaide, so it will look to combine its offices.