Business Connexion Group's wholly-owned subsidiary, UCS Technology Services (UCS TS), which offers the supply, installation and support of solutions to over 1 450 service stations in southern Africa, has acquired 100% of the shares of Joint Venture Pumps Services (JVPS), effective 1 March 2015.
JVPS is an industry leader in product supply and support to the petroleum industry in southern Africa, and the acquisition allows UCS TS to provide a unique market offering through a single entity for fuel retail services. According to Saul Gorin, Chief Executive of UCS TS: "This merger provides us with a unique opportunity to extend the value that we can offer to fuel retailers. We can now deliver an end-to-end service from the fuel tank through to head office."
With 10 years as a market leader, JVPS' comprehensive portfolio includes fuel dispensing equipment, a range of forecourt automation equipment, including Automated Tank Gauging (ATG) and Forecourt Controllers, and an environmental management solution for the forecourt. These are all elements that allow UCS TS to provide leading technology capable of enabling the Internet of things (IOT).
Through extended data collection, smart networking, micro-electronics, predictive analytics, environmental management and an attendant tagging, Business Connexion will leverage its big data competency that will be beneficial to the consumer of the future and will transform the petroleum industry accordingly. "This acquisition of an adjacent industry business with sensor and controller technologies capable of rich integration with core information technologies, is in line with the group's strategy as the leading enabler of the IOT. Many industries will be transformed through the impact of IOT, of which the retail petroleum industry is one such example," comments Isaac Mophatlane, Business Connexion Chief Executive Officer.
"This convergence between the forecourt and convenience store not only makes management of the total service easier for the staff, it provides the consumer a single transaction through the point of sale across many services on any device. Fleet managers and motorists will have smarter service stations with an ability to accept various payment methods, enable value-added services (VAS) payments and support vouchers and coupons," ends Gorin.
As a result of this acquisition, UCS TS will be able to draw on an employee base of over 200 fuel automation professionals, with sought-after skills and experience in this highly technical and regulated industry.
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