A BRIEF HISTORY OF…KBS CORPORATE’S FROG IT SERVICES SALE

An IT company belonging to the family of the PA and nursing coordinator of the late Professor Stephen Hawking has been sold by KBS Corporate.

FROG was started in 1986 by Judy Fella, who at the time was working closely with the world-renowned physicist, cosmologist and author.

Sir Stephen asked Judy to try out a new computer for the production of his scientific papers and later his book A Brief History of Time, which also became the title of the biographical film about his life.

In learning how to use the new word processor and making notes, Judy took her first steps towards compiling computer training manuals – which is how FROG was born.

Now, 37 years later, KBS Corporate has overseen the sale of Cambridge-based FROG IT Services Ltd and FROG Networking Solutions Ltd to inTec Business Solutions Ltd, whose Group head office is in Manchester.

FROG has developed into being a specialist provider of IT support and cloud-based services to small and medium-sized customers. The company has built up an excellent reputation, gaining a large customer base, many of whom provide repeat business owing to the high-quality service they receive.

Judy’s sons Chris and Richard, who have been associated with the business for the last few decades, approached KBS Corporate regarding the sale of the Group to enable the retirement of the majority of the shareholders – although Chris is remaining with the company post-completion.

Having attracted a large amount of interest, the ideal buyer for FROG was identified as inTEC, who are fulfilling a growth-via-acquisition strategy having completed 13 acquisitions since the company’s formation in 2016.

Fabio Rambelli, Associate Director at KBS Corporate, advised throughout the process and said: “I am delighted with the sale of FROG IT to inTec Business Solutions and that my clients are able to reap the rewards of their hard work.

“I am confident FROG will continue to succeed under inTec and I wish everyone the very best in the future.”

Richard Fella, managing director of FROG IT Services, said: “This will allow both our customers and staff to benefit from being part of a larger organisation but whose core values remain the same as those of FROG IT.”

Simon Howitt, chairman and CEO at the inTEC Group, added: “Richard has built a great team with a very strong business. We are excited to begin working with them to bring added value to their client base and further enhance the inTEC portfolio through their additional industry experience.

“This latest acquisition extends our reach across the UK, allowing us to deliver even greater value for our clients.”