Maxima, a UK-based reseller of software, has bought Irish technology group Intertech Solutions Ireland (ILL) for €6.1 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, AIM-listed Maxima will pay €4.1 million in cash and issue 738,648 new ordinary shares to fund the acquisition, giving it access to Citrix technology solutions that will facilitate the use of some of the software it resells.

Kelvin Harrison, chief executive of Maxima, welcomed the acquisition, saying more than 50 million people across 160,000 organisations use Citrix infrastructure software. "Having top-flight Citrix skills within the Maxima group will enable us to capitalise on the increasing trend to outsource infrastructure technology services to provide more robust IT delivery," he said.

Dublin-based Intertech and its 33 employees will be immediately integrated into Maxima's existing managed service business. Intertech had pretax profit of €29,000 in 2005 on sales of €4.5 million. Its net assets at the end of 2005 were €1 million.

Maxima estimates that the acquisition will be earnings enhancing in the current financial year ending May 31st. In a statement the company said it believes Intertech's skills will be transferable to the UK, firstly among existing clients and also to help attract new clients.