Distributor Horizon Technology Group has created a new division – Horizon Software.

Horizon claimed the move was necessary to house all staff associated with its booming Oracle business, which it took over from Sphinx and OpenPSL in 2006 (CRN, 26 September, 2006).

The distributor has grown by acquisition in recent years, and now comprises six divisions, including Horizon equIP, Horizon Solutions and Horizon Clarity.

When Horizon Clarity won its bid to be Oracle's value added distribution partner
the pressure became too much to bear within the company, according to Ceri
Jones, Horizon Technology Group’s marketing manager.

“The place is bursting with people,” said Jones. “We have expanded to twenty
people in the Horizon software sales team at least.”

Jones admitted that competing vendors Oracle and SAP might not sit particularly
well alongside each other. "If you have a vendor that doesn't sit alongside the
rest of the division, we form a new division,” she joked.

Jones would not be drawn on whether the motive behind opening new divisions was
to boost the company's potential sale price. Horizon last month revealed it has received an approach from an unnamed company, which it said may or may not lead to an acquisition offer (CRN, 13 March).

Jones promised a raft of new channel initiatives, including a partner
recruitment programme, which has yet to be finalised. "We have got two new
business development managers and we are raring to go," said Jones. WThere is a
lot going on."