Hitachi Consulting, the IT and business consultancy arm of the global electronics giant, has announced plans to ramp up its presence in the UK with the acquisition today of financial services and public-sector IT consulting specialist Impact Plus.

Hitachi Consulting, which launched in the UK last year, said the acquisition of the 60-strong Impact Plus would bolster the company's presence in the UK and extend its ability to support global Hitachi customers operating in Europe and attract new customers in the financial services and public-sector markets.

The company said the deal would increase Hitachi Consulting's UK sales from £3.5m a year to around £15m.

Jim Schuchard, chief operating officer for Europe and managing vice-president for strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions at Hitachi Consulting, said the acquisition would also extend the company's services portfolio.

"Our main focus has been around business intelligence, performance management and knowledge management," he said. "But Impact adds expertise in operational effectiveness and areas such as developing customer strategies, improving sales force effectiveness and supporting post M&A integration."

David Bailey, co-founder and joint managing director of Impact Plus, said that he is to continue as managing vice-president for industry and markets in the UK for Hitachi Consulting.

He added that integration of the two operations was already under way, claiming there was "nothing to hold back immediate integration of staff, services and systems".