Haslingden-based Matrix247, a telecoms and mobile solutions provider, has acquired Task Office Systems. The deal says Matrix247 will help it to capitalise from a surge in demand for technology and systems triggered by lockdown. It will mean the company can add Microsoft Office products, IT support and digital photocopiers with document management to its existing range of services. The acquisition takes the Matrix247 team to 40 full-time employees, with the company looking to recruit more Microsoft engineers and additional staff into its sales, finance, customer service and marketing teams. The company is on target to achieve £10 million turnover by 2024, having already reported a 25 per cent increase in turnover and 40 per cent increase in pre-tax profits for the year ending 2019. Set up by Stephen Pritchard and Geoff Wright in 1991, Matrix247 is one of the largest owner-managed providers of telephone and communication systems in the UK. Stephen said: “The lockdown has changed peoples’ attitudes to technology forever. There is no going back. Home-based working means that companies need agile and seamless integration between home and office. “We have received a flood of calls from potential customers who admit they’d been resistant to change in the past but now recognise the need to protect their business by embracing evolving technologies, such as integrating Microsoft Teams with their existing telecoms and mobile devices. “Ironically, this prompted us to examine how we could future proof our own business. Bolstering our core activities by investing in a Microsoft partner of 30 years standing was the obvious strategic path so we’ve accelerated our growth strategy.” Stephen believes Matrix247 is now positioned to target bigger companies and compete with larger players in the market. He said: “Being a family-run business is a big bonus. No matter how much we grow, we will never lose our appetite for providing unparalleled advice and exceptional service.”