Groupe Acticall recently purchased leading contact center outsourcer Sitel. Here are thoughts from Ovum’s IT Services Analyst:

“The fact that Sitel was acquired comes as no surprise. Rumors of its impending purchase had been circulating for months, and the fact is that it is a strongly positioned firm in terms of its global delivery footprint, a presence in multiple vertical markets and a very strong list of blue-chip clients. Sitel has also made substantial progress in developing deeper analytical CRM solutions, which enterprises are clamoring for at the moment. What will be important to see is how the acquirer, Groupe Acticall, sees Sitel fitting into its broader organization. It is particularly encouraging to see that Bert Quintana will remain Sitel’s CEO and President, thus ensuring consistency for both clients and for Sitel team members.

From a broader perspective, this development highlights the ongoing M&A trend in the contact center services sector, which has been more active in the last 24 months than since the Global Financial Crisis. It is a certainty that this is unlikely to be the last acquisition in this space during 2015, as pressure will mount on competitors in this sector to shore up their own strategic positioning.”