Apogee Acquires Cumulus Technology Services Inc. to Enhance Managed Technology Services Leadership Position in Higher Education

Acquisition Extends Apogee Networking and IT Expertise into Secure Cloud Services, Building on Commitment to be the Managed Technology Services Partner of Choice for Colleges and Universities News Release Highlights

• Cloud: The acquisition extends the strength of the Apogee portfolio into cloud and hybrid cloud offerings.
• Data Synchronization: Cumulus Data Adapter (CDA) integrates and synchronizes institutional enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with learning management systems (LMS).
• Security: Battle-tested security assessments, ransomware incident response preparedness, and disaster recovery plans round out the portfolio.
• Higher Education Focus: With a singular focus and shared belief in the power of higher ed, the acquisition solidifies Apogee’s deep bench of higher ed expertise.

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AWSSelectConsultingPartner—Apogee, a leader in managed technology services for higher education, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Cumulus Technology Services Inc. Based in Ventura, Calif., Cumulus Technology Services is an expert in secure cloud services for higher education and is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Select Consulting Partner. This acquisition builds upon Apogee’s commitment to be the managed technology partner of choice for colleges and universities that aspire to innovate and transform. The acquisition extends the strength of Apogee managed networking and IT services into the cloud, creating new opportunities for higher ed IT innovation to improve student experiences and enable institutional competitiveness.

While the role of technology is increasing in the quest to attract and retain students and provide exceptional hybrid learning and student life experiences, higher ed IT teams face intensifying difficulty hiring and retaining IT talent. Services and solutions that offload IT operations, control costs, enhance operational efficiency, and fuel innovation are in high demand. Accelerating the delivery of managed cloud services in higher ed delivers on the Apogee promise to help colleges and universities unlock time for innovation.

“Apogee’s commitment to empowering colleges and universities to do and achieve more is the driving force behind the acquisition of Cumulus Technology Services,” said Apogee Chief Executive Officer Scott Drossos. “I am thrilled to welcome this team of higher ed experts to Apogee. We have the services, talent, and scale to be a catalyst for change and guide higher education customers on their digital transformation journey. I look forward to extending the Apogee managed services portfolio into the cloud and hybrid cloud to enhance the security and performance of higher ed applications, data, and infrastructure.”

The following acquired services will be integrated into the Apogee managed technology services portfolio in the coming weeks and months:

• Secure Cloud Services expand Apogee’s cloud, security, and data center management expertise. Cumulus Technology Services’ extensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) cloud migration and containerization knowledge, Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS), Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) will allow Apogee to provide colleges and universities with even greater performance, scalability, resiliency, and security of their applications, infrastructure, and data.
• Cumulus Data Adapter (CDA) integrates and synchronizes institutional ERP systems like Ellucian Banner® with learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas by Instructure with a secure, easy-to-deploy tool that greatly improves IT administration efficiency and student life. Offered as a managed service, CDA is yet another essential tool that addresses the big pain point of data synchronization between ERPs and LMSs, streamlining student data integration challenges for IT and improving the student experience for class registration and attendance.
• Security services strengthen Apogee security experience and expertise, enabling the delivery of battle-tested college security assessments; ransomware incident response preparedness that includes short and long-range plans, budgeting, technology selection, implementation, and staffing; and disaster recovery plans.

“Cumulus Technology Services offers a broad range of consulting services that are tailored to higher education customers,” said Candace Jones, vice president, Business and Administrative Services, Pasadena Area Community College District. “Their wealth of experience supporting institutions of all sizes coupled with their strong AWS expertise and knowledge allows institutions to quickly realize their technology goals.”

Terms of the acquisition agreement are confidential, and integration of the entities is underway.

About Apogee

Established in Austin in 1999, Apogee is a leading provider of managed technology services that enable colleges and universities to innovate to enrich the campus experience and foster student vitality. Uniquely positioned to serve higher education, Apogee supports a community of more than one million students and administrators at over 350 colleges and universities nationwide. The company’s comprehensive managed services portfolio includes Managed Campus networks and IT services, residential networks (ResNet), campus engagement, and video. Visit Apogee at apogee.us.

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Laura Pennino

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lp@penninoandpartners.com