IRIS expands range of cloud services with the acquisition of Accountant Websmiths

Specialised accountant website and content services underpin the IRIS cloud strategy and help accountants take advantage of the web.

IRIS Software Group, the market leader in accountancy software and payroll solutions, today announces the acquisition of accountancy website specialist Websmiths Group Ltd, trading as Accountant Websmiths. The strategic purchase has been made to complement the growing portfolio of integrated software and services at IRIS and help UK accountancy firms present themselves more effectively on the web.

Effective immediately Accountant Websmiths will join the IRIS Software Group and their range of services will be offered under the IRIS OpenWebsite name.

As one of the UK’s largest providers of specialist website solutions for accountants, Accountant Websmiths provides accountancy practices with template and bespoke website design. It also offers a sizable library of content on accounting and tax issues for its customers to use on their websites, removing the need to create and update such documents themselves.

As part of the move, all staff together with directors Keith Samuels and Leo Ludwig will join IRIS, ensuring continuity for the existing 640 customers. Commenting on the acquisition, Keith Samuels said: “We are delighted to be joining IRIS. More than half of our customers already rely on IRIS solutions, so we know we are a good fit for further developments with our offering. We look forward to integrating with the development teams to explore what additional services we can offer our customers in future.”

Phill Robinson, CEO of IRIS Software Group, added: “IRIS is a progressive company which is constantly looking for ways to help our customers improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Many of our customers have told us they would like us to help them deliver a professional presence on the web, in fact research suggests that up to 20 per cent of accountancy practices don’t even have a website, missing a huge opportunity to win new clients. IRIS OpenWebsite will provide a simple but necessary tool for practices looking to promote themselves and their services online, with IRIS as their web partner.Details of IRIS OpenWebsite can be found at www.iris.co.uk/website