Spark owned subsidiary Qrious acquires NOW Consulting to create market-leading data and analytics service

Spark New Zealand owned data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) business, Qrious, has today announced it has signed a conditional agreement to acquire NOW Consulting, the New Zealand-based data consulting division of WhereScape Software, in a strategic move that will give Qrious a unique data and analytics offering in the New Zealand market.  
 
Jolie Hodson, CEO of Spark, says that Spark is focused on further growing its data services and this acquisition is a key step in doing so. “Data is fast becoming a business’s most valuable asset. When unleashed effectively, it provides a real competitive advantage. We are proud of the position Qrious has already built as a leading innovator in New Zealand’s data and analytics space, particularly following Qrious’ successful acquisition and integration of marketing automation business Ubiquity in 2017. The acquisition of NOW Consulting is an excellent opportunity to accelerate the next stage of Qrious’ growth.” 
 
The merged business will operate under the Qrious brand combining the rich data, analytics, AI and data-powered customer engagement capabilities of Qrious with NOW Consulting’s wealth of expertise and capability in data integration, engineering and visualisation.  
 
Qrious CEO, Nathalie Morris, believes the combined businesses will be a powerful offering for the New Zealand market. “We’re responding to the growing demand from New Zealand companies for foundational data solutions and services that enable them to unleash intelligence and fast-track their access to the hidden wealth in their data.” 
 
NOW Consulting’s CEO, David Morris, says, “This is the right time for NOW Consulting to join Qrious. Both our businesses are passionate about partnering with customers to provide solutions that deliver tangible long-term value, and the opportunity to immediately offer more advanced analytics and AI services will be of real benefit for our customers and our people.” 
 
Taking total staff to over 170 across Auckland and Wellington, the acquisition makes Qrious one of the largest data and analytics specialists in New Zealand. The conditions in the agreement signed today are largely procedural, and completion is expected in the next few days.