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IT consultancy group Anite has reported an underlying sales and profits surge after all its businesses experienced strong organic growth in the six months to 31 October 2000. Nancy Daniel reports.

Total sales increased two per cent to £85.6 million while pre-tax profits were down to £3.04 million (£4.69 million). Profits were pulled down by goodwill amortisation costs of £5.84 million. Before exceptional costs profits actually increased 42 per cent to £8.5 million.

Anite's group chief executive John Hawkins put the company's success down to having a good mix of core businesses.

Its largest business, IT Consultancy, increased pre-tax profits 40 per cent to £4.9 million on sales of £47.3 million. Public sector business contracts with local authorities account for approximately £30 million of this turnover.

Anite's fastest growing unit, Anite Telecoms, also performed strongly, pushing profits on by 145 per cent to £2.7 million.

The Anite travel division, which supplies internet services and customer relationship management systems to tour operators and ferry businesses, increased sales by a third to £10.1 million. Profits were up 43 per cent to £1.0 million.

Despite the fact Anite has acquired 18 companies in the last three years, it has gearing of just 9.8 per cent and interest cover of 15 times. Hawkins said this left the group with adequate facilities to make more acquisitions if it needed to.

Prospects for the company's most recent acquisition, Telco billing systems specialist Calculus, look good. Calculus has secured 14 orders in the last 18 months. Hawkins said one thing that will set Calculus apart is that it takes just three to six months to set up its billing systems. A much faster option than some legacy products, Hawkins claims.

Anite Group	LSE	£126.92m	37.50p	-0.50p
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