London, 5 November 2024 – Omni Partners (“Omni”) is pleased to announce its acquisition of Infoshare, a leader in data management, alongside two key software solutions from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA): AssetManager.net (an advanced asset management platform) and CIPFAStats+ (an interactive data analysis tool). These acquisitions form the foundation of the rebranded Infoshareplus, an organisation that aims to transform government technology (govtech) services in the public sector.
Infoshareplus is the first step in Omni’s strategy to create an innovative, scalable software and data platform dedicated to enhancing public sector decision-making and service delivery. By integrating Infoshare’s industry-leading technology and vast data expertise with CIPFA’s trusted software assets, Infoshareplus will help local government and other public sector clients (such as blue light) improve service efficiency, data accuracy, asset management and performance benchmarking, as well as produce data analytics and insights. The company will address a gap in the fragmented govtech market that is currently dominated by a handful of large consolidators that often overlook the smaller government software providers.
Founded in 1996, Infoshare has a long-standing reputation for enabling public sector organisations to create a “golden record” by cleaning and matching large volumes of data from multiple sources to provide an accurate single view of customers’ data. This capability is crucial in the UK public sector, where discrepancies across sources often lead to inefficiencies and data inaccuracies. It has become even more relevant as organisations increasingly explore the use of AI, where an accurate data foundation is key. Infoshare’s impressive client roster includes the Met Police, Royal Mail and many local authorities.
The newly integrated CIPFA software solutions enhance the value Infoshareplus offers its clients. AssetManager.net has been a trusted local government tool for three decades, helping to manage capital accounting and fixed assets. CIPFAStats+, a subscription-based data management tool, enables public sector organisations to benchmark performance against peers, providing valuable insights into service improvement. Infoshareplus will provide ongoing services to CIPFA and its membership base through the acquired software solutions, creating a valuable partnership between the two organisations.
The transaction provides Omni with the platform to make further investments in the sector. In addition to supporting the continued development and improvement of the existing software solutions, Omni is also seeking to identify interesting data partnerships and additional public sector-focused software providers with complementary govtech products. The Infoshareplus leadership team will be bolstered by seasoned ex-Civica executive, Steve Thorn, who will serve as Executive Chairman. Pamela Cook, current CEO of Infoshare, will lead business development for Infoshareplus, ensuring that client needs remain at the forefront of the company’s growth plans.
Wayne Story, Partner at Omni, commented: “Omni is dedicated to advancing the evolving needs of the public sector and building a platform of trusted software solution providers. In this first step, we’re excited to work alongside Infoshare’s data experts and invest in CIPFA’s high-quality software solutions, bringing increased efficiency and innovation to our public sector clients and adding value to all of their stakeholders.”
Steve Thorn, incoming Executive Chairman at Infoshareplus, said: “Having admired Infoshare from afar for many years, I’m excited to become Executive Chairman. Working with the Infoshareplus team to implement our ambitious growth plan presents a significant opportunity to strengthen our position as a trusted partner in the public sector. Infoshareplus will build on Infoshare’s fantastic reputation and the strong CIPFA products to develop new solutions, support ambitious product roadmaps and leverage the vast knowledge, experience and expertise we have across the newly strengthened organisation.”
Pamela Cook, CEO of Infoshare said: “I’ve been honoured to steer the Infoshare ship for so long, earning our trusted reputation as a company that uses industry-leading technology to positively impact society. Omni is the perfect partner for us given Wayne’s experience transforming Civica into a fast-growing govtech software business during his tenure as CEO. The investment from Omni represents an exciting new era for us, allowing us to offer a wider range of data services to our clients. I’m looking forward to the partnership with both Omni and CIPFA as we bring forth our collective data solutions to solve some of the public sector’s biggest challenges.”
Owen Mapley, Chief Executive of CIPFA added: “AssetManager.net and CIPFAstats+ are invaluable accounting and data analysis tools that for years have helped public sector leaders make clearer decisions. I am sure that they will go from strength to strength at their new home with Infoshareplus, and we look forward to working with the Infoshareplus team to ensure that the public sector continues to have access to these high-quality products. CIPFA will maintain our focus on delivering world-beating support and advisory services to the public sector to help tackle the complex issues that they face.”
Omni was advised by Mayer Brown (Legal), Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) (Financial & Tax), RSM (Tax Structuring), LucidIQ (Technology) and CCC Contract Consultancy (Contracts). Infoshare was advised by Squire Patton Boggs (Legal) and WTA Partners (M&A). CIPFA was advised by Keystone Law (Legal).