Ardentia acquires InFocus Health

Healthcare performance management software provider Ardentia has announced the acquisition of InFocus Health, whose information analysis solution Hippo21 is used predominantly in Wales, Scotland and the South of England.

The sale brings together two businesses both offering business intelligence products to the health sector and Ardentia says the two companies will continue to operate separately.

Gary Luke, managing director of Ardentia, said products from both companies would continue to be offered to customers although over time there could be some merging of solutions as the companies sought to improve what they offer.

He told EHI Primary Care: “We have excellent technology which is why we are working with Connecting for Health and InFocus have a real understanding of the health area where they have been working for 15 years. Our products are really quite complementary although they are in the same space in terms of health information and performance management. ”

Ardentia is based in Stafford and its client base includes the Department of Health, NHS Connecting for Health and a range of NHS trusts and health communities, predominantly in the Midlands and the north.

InFocus Health, based in Oxfordshire, has clients in Wales, the south of England and Scotland. Together the two companies have more than 90 employees.

Luke said an additional attraction of InFocus was its existing international client base which he said would help with Ardentia’s plans to expand outside the UK. Ardentia has already set up an operation in Germany.

Richard Judd of InFocus Health said "combining the best of InFocus Health and Ardentia, plus the additional resources that we’re investing, will allow us to offer a wider range of solutions and increased service levels to our clients. Ardentia’s work with the Department of Health along with its participation with the NHS CfH and InFocus Health’s involvement with the roll out of information to Local Health Boards across Wales as well as both companies’ continuing involvement with so many Trusts and Health communities makes Ardentia the key player within its markets."