RE: Exclusive IRIS Software Group acquires iSAMS, confirmed by EducationInvestor Global23 Oct 2020 21:18
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IRIS Software Group Executive Chairman, Kevin Dady spent 18 years with Capita, during which he had oversight of SIMS. By purchasing iSAMS, IRIS Education would also gain a large slice of the UK private school market, in which the organisation has has limited reach, as it sells chiefly to state funded multi academy trusts. iSAMS, whose profit has been touted at around £1 million by corporate financiers from Grant Thornton, claims to be the first ever cloud based school MIS provider. In the year ended 30 September, 2019, the company recorded turnover of £8.4 million – up from £6.9 million a year prior – and profit of nearly £632,000. Sources suggested that iSAMS would be a “good fit” within IRIS Education’s cloud-based product portfolio, which spans several budgeting, payments and administration software platforms. It makes sense; iSAMS would fit well with their [IRIS Education’s] accountancy product,” commented one source. Another said: “It makes sense with IRIS’s other bits and pieces. An acquisition of iSAMS by IRIS Education would also see London-listed Intermediate Capital Group deepen its foray into the UK education sector. Intermediate Capital Group bought a stake in IRIS Software Group in 2018, in a deal that valued it at around £1.3 billion – which, at the time, was the largest-ever UK private equity software buyout. Hg Capital has held a stake in IRIS Software Group for over a decade, most recently through its Saturn investment vehicle. Hg Capital knows the UK school MIS market well: its co-founder and former chief executive Ian Armitage is chairman of The Key, which is merging with rival Arbor Education, in which Armitage personally holds a minority stake. Armitage orchestrated the tie-up between the two organisations, it is understood,in which buyout group CBPE Capital is poised to acquire a minority stake as revealed exclusively by this publication. A source familiar with Hg Capital strategy told this publication that the group is highly motivated to grow IRIS Education because it is in comparison to the parent group.iSAMS is a good opportunity for them [IRIS Education], though they have to be careful they do not apply the normal IRIS buy-and-cut-costs model to drive up margins towards the 60% average that IRIS generates elsewhere, the insider added. I don’t think there are easy opportunities to share costs without damage to product or service.
Founded in 2005 after Price had been inspired to solve the frustrations of his teachers at the illustrious Rugby School, which he attended alongside business partner Pakes, iSAMS is used by more than 950 schools in over 75 countries and has more than 500,000 daily users. In addition to its core school MIS platform, iSAMS also offers three mobile applications geared at teachers, students and parents, which it launched in 2015, as well as data compliance functions and a school software marketplace