‘I see us continuing to grow, both organically and through M&A. We’ll expand our service offerings, particularly in AI and automation, which will be key to our long-term strategy,’ says Mark Clayman, CEO of Netrio and Success Computer Consulting.

As Netrio and Success Computer Consulting combine their strengths to create a cybersecurity and AI powerhouse, CEO Mark Clayman says there is more to come.

In fact, on Monday the merged company acquired Buffalo, N.Y.-based MSP PCA Technology Group, which is a partner of Microsoft, HP, HPE, Scale Computing and others.

“Our M&A strategy has two tracks. One is to grow our regional presence by bringing in MSPs that have strong brands and service offerings in specific areas,” Clayman told CRN. “The goal is to merge those regional players with our national infrastructure to create a more robust and scalable offering.”

PCA brings a deeper understanding of business needs and a client-centric approach that closely aligns with the combined company’s focus to deliver solutions that drive innovation, efficiency, and growth for clients, while also reducing costs and cybersecurity risks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

While the companies did not disclose the number of employees coming over in the acquisition, a spokesperson said the combined companies — Netrio, Success and PCA — will have a workforce of more than 250.

“We’re not just focused on helping businesses become more secure or more efficient, we’re thinking about how to help them operate better, how to manage data more effectively, and how to stay ahead of the technology curve,” Clayman said.

Check out CRN’s interview with Clayman regarding M&A, cybersecurity and how customers can harness more value from the combined companies.

As CEO, what is your number one mission for the combined company going forward?

My main focus is helping the organization build a clear strategy for growth. That growth, in my view, comes in two parts. First, we want to see organic growth by capitalizing on our existing services, market reach and the skill sets we already have. Beyond that, we’re exploring ways to expand our offerings, whether that’s through new services or acquisitions. The challenge with M&A, however, is cultural integration. It’s one thing to bring in another great company, but the real challenge is unifying those teams, aligning our approaches to customers and building one cohesive organization.

What do you foresee as your biggest challenge going forward?

The biggest challenge is managing growth without disrupting the organization. We want to be aggressive, especially with M&A, but we can’t let that distract us from our day-to-day operations. Change is always difficult for people, it can be both exciting and unsettling. There’s a balance to strike between pushing forward with acquisitions, adding new services and making sure our teams stay focused on the job at hand. It’s all about keeping the machine running while we keep adding new pieces to it.

You’ve mentioned M&A a couple of times. What is your M&A strategy going forward?

Our M&A strategy has two tracks. One is to grow our regional presence by bringing in MSPs that have strong brands and service offerings in specific areas. The goal is to merge those regional players with our national infrastructure to create a more robust and scalable offering. We’ll also focus on enhancing our core services like centralized NOCs (network operations center) and service desks, but we want to maintain the local touch that makes these regional businesses valuable to their customers.

What do you want more of from your vendor partners?

Lead generation is a key ask from our vendor partners. It’s a symbiotic relationship. We rely on our partners to provide high-quality products and services that we can offer to our customers, but we also want them to actively work with us on go-to-market efforts. This means identifying leads and helping us expand our reach. A good partnership goes beyond just providing a product, it’s about working together to generate opportunities.

Small and mid-market companies often face unique challenges. What technology solutions do you believe are most critical for them right now?

For small and mid-market companies, the focus is still on the basics, operational efficiency, stability and security. They need platforms that are secure, reliable and don’t bog them down with unnecessary issues like frequent outages or complex patches. But we also help them identify areas where they can improve, especially around security, compliance and governance. And increasingly, we’re helping these businesses think about AI, automation and public cloud as part of their longer-term strategy. The goal is to help them become better operators, to not just survive, but thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.

Speaking of AI, how does the combined company plan to take AI to market?

AI is definitely a big focus for us. While the concept of AI isn’t new, its adoption, especially for small and mid-market companies, is still in its early stages. A lot of our customers are starting to explore how AI can help them improve operations, but there’s still a learning curve. They need to understand not only where AI fits into their business but also the tangible benefits it brings. Our goal is to help bridge that gap by offering AI solutions that improve both the way we deliver services and the way our customers operate. We’re investing in a range of AI platforms and solutions, but I believe the future will be a mix of different technologies tailored to our clients’ specific needs.

What differentiates Netrio and Success from competitors in the market?

One of our biggest differentiators is the combination of a strong regional presence with national scale. We have the local expertise and relationships, but we’re also able to bring the resources and infrastructure of a larger organization to bear. Our breadth of services, from traditional infrastructure support to cutting-edge solutions like AI, data management and security, is another key differentiator. We’re not just focused on helping businesses become more secure or more efficient, we’re thinking about how to help them operate better, how to manage data more effectively and how to stay ahead of the technology curve.

Where do you see the company in the next three to five years?

I see us continuing to grow, both organically and through M&A. We’ll expand our service offerings, particularly in AI and automation, which will be key to our long-term strategy. Security and governance will always be at the core of what we do, but we also want to evolve with the changing needs of our customers. In the next few years, I hope to see us not just maintaining our position in the market but really differentiating ourselves by offering innovative solutions that help our customers become better operators in their own right.

Finally, how do you see the merger of Netrio and Success creating more value for your clients?

The merger allows us to offer a more comprehensive range of services while maintaining the personalized, regional approach that our customers value. We can bring national scale and infrastructure to bear, while still providing the local touch and deep industry knowledge that clients rely on. For our customers, this means more options, more innovation and better support as they grow and face new challenges. The combined company will be able to deliver advanced solutions, like AI and data management, without sacrificing the foundational services they need to operate securely and efficiently. It’s about creating more value for them in a rapidly changing landscape.