The board of IT services firm Calyx has confirmed that it has received an initial buyout approach from chief executive and company founder Maurice Healy.

The Aim and IEX-listed company was obliged to make a statement to the Dublin and London exchanges following heavy dealing in the company's shares yesterday. Calyx shares closed at €1.35 last night up 8 per cent on the previous days closing price.

Calyx has been on a major acquisition spree in the last year. Last summer it completed a €59 million deal for Network Parkers Holdings and MXC, two divisions of the UK's Matrix group.

It followed that last December with the acquisition of fellow Irish IT services company Mentec and its UK subsidiary Transfare Solutions for a total consideration of €16 million.

Calyx itself was formed in 2001 through a management buyout when Mr Healy, supported by Anglo Irish Bank, bought out the Irish voice and data business of Alphyra.

The company's most recent interim results show that it had a turnover of €29.3 million in the six months to the end of June last and a profit after tax of €1.2 million.

Although the company was initially a major reseller of technology products from international vendors such as Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix and Avaya, Mr Healy has focused on moving the company towards offering technology services that provide recurring revenues.

In 2005, the company floated on London's Aim in order to raise money for the building of a network operations centre in Santry and further acquisitions. The network operations centre allows it to monitor and manage the infrastructure at customer sites remotely.

In a statement yesterday, the Calyx board said it had been approached by Mr Healy and other members of the senior management team who were seeking permission to talk to financiers about raising funds for a buyout. An independent sub-committee of the board has been formed to consider the approach.