An IT company which started life in its founder’s lounge a decade ago and grew to 20 staff with 170 customers has completed a merger with a leading edge audio visual specialist.

Bournemouth-based ITSB, headed by Founder and CEO Lee Dredge, has joined forces with Quad Vision, based in Wimborne.

Quad Vision now sits as the audio and visual arm of ITSB.

Both retain their separate brands.

Lee is CEO of both organisations while Sanjay Saini, MD of Quad Vision, becomes Chief Technology Officer.

They have been professional friends for a number of years.

Formal merger proceedings began in March, just before the first lockdown.

Lee, pictured left, said: “It’s a really positive move and we’ll be looking to expand further in the future.

“Since the first national lockdown we’ve experienced a significant increase in demand for our services, predominantly implementing technologies like Microsoft 365™ and Microsoft Teams™ which allow for productive remote working.

“We recognised that by joining forces we can strengthen our service proposition to existing and future customer bases, plus create the ability to deliver professional conference room solutions via Microsoft Teams™.”

Sanjay, pictured right, who founded Quad Vision in 2006, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with ITSB and to work collaboratively on projects.

“This merger enables us to propel the growth of all services, continue to provide high-end and large installs to clients as well as specialist bespoke solutions.

“We anticipate this move will benefit our businesses in terms of growth, strength in numbers and the ability to complement each other’s products much more closely.

“This is a decision born from aligned synergies and not necessity, together propelling our businesses to the next level.”

ITSB – which stands for IT Support Business – manages IT solutions, cloud infrastructure and IT security for business, education and charitable sector clients.

The business has added 40 new customers to its database over the past 12 months.

It now has 170 clients representing a 30 per cent increase in customer growth within a year.

They include Dorset Chamber, Field International, Oxford University, Edinburgh University and not for profit organisation, Sported.

Quad Vision is an audio visual specialist in the field of digital display systems including video conferencing and digital signage screens.

The three-strong company also provides Covid-19 solutions such as LCD hand sanitiser displays and contactless thermometer displays.

Clients include Samsonite, Kinetic, Leonardo Helicopters, EIMS and EasyJet.

Between them the merged companies will have 230 customers.

The consolidation is expected to allow ITSB and Quad Vision to bolster not just their services and product portfolio but also technical expertise, specifically within dedicated video conferencing room capabilities.

ITSB’s Bournemouth base on Richmond Hill.

Employees are to benefit from further career development and product training as a result of the merger.

Lee said two new account managers had recently been recruited and he expected to add more staff in the future.

“The message is growth and strength,” he added.

Sanjay said he was “very excited” about the future.

He added: “We will have the ability to do so much more.

“When you do anything in a partnership it can be difficult.

“You need to have trust and that’s what Lee and I have.”

Simon Mewett and Iain McKenzie.

ITSB and Quad Vision are both part of the TECHNEDs Investment LLP family.

The UK technology investment firm provides expert coaching and guidance to help businesses succeed and handled the high-level structuring of the strategic merger.

Simon Mewett, Founder and Managing Partner of TECHNEDS, remains as Chairman of both ITSB and Quad Vision with Iain McKenzie serving as Non-Executive Director.