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Westcon-Comstor and Bechtle Expand Their European Reach

Westcon-Comstor adds REAL Security’s eight-country Balkan cybersecurity network, while Bechtle gains Portuguese IT consulting and services through RIS and Evoware.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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Westcon-Comstor acquired Slovenian cybersecurity distributor REAL Security to establish a foothold across eight Balkan countries. Bechtle acquired Portugal-based RIS 2048 and Evoware, adding consulting and IT services to its Portuguese business. The two deals broaden European coverage in different ways: one strengthens a cybersecurity distribution network, while the other adds direct IT consulting and systems integration.

What Westcon-Comstor acquired

On 28 January 2026, Datatec announced that Westcon-Comstor had acquired REAL Security, a value-added cybersecurity distributor headquartered in Maribor, Slovenia. Founded in 2002, REAL Security connects cybersecurity vendors with resellers and managed-service providers. Datatec described the acquisition as giving Westcon-Comstor a strategic foothold in the Balkans and combining REAL Security’s local capabilities with the distributor’s broader scale and partner enablement. Datatec’s announcement

REAL Security’s eight-country footprint

  • Slovenia
  • Croatia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Serbia
  • Kosovo
  • Montenegro
  • Albania
  • North Macedonia

REAL Security serves value-added resellers (VARs), managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs), supporting their work with leading and emerging cybersecurity vendors. The announcement positions the acquisition around regional channel coverage and cybersecurity capability; it does not disclose a purchase price. Westcon-Comstor CEO David Grant said the acquisition would strengthen support for partners across Europe’s cybersecurity landscape. Grant’s statement

What Bechtle acquired in Portugal

On 29 January 2026, Bechtle announced that it had acquired RIS 2048, whose operations include the Evoware brand. RIS is headquartered in Aveiro and also has locations in Lisbon and Porto. Founded in 2000, the business will continue within the Bechtle Group under the RIS and Evoware brands. Bechtle’s announcement

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Scale and capabilities

Bechtle reported that RIS and Evoware employ 165 people and generated more than €50 million in revenue in 2025. The companies primarily serve enterprise and mid-market customers. Bechtle said their IT consulting and services complement Bechtle direct Portugal, adding capabilities that include consulting, cloud and data-centre delivery. The co-founders and former majority shareholders, Luís Catalão and Nuno Silva, were to continue leading the business, according to the announcement.

The acquisition is part of Bechtle’s European acquisition strategy. Its stated rationale is to strengthen the company’s Portuguese services offering, with potential wider Iberian synergies; the announcement does not describe a specific expansion into named countries beyond Portugal. Bechtle did not disclose the purchase price in its announcement.

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How the acquisitions differ

Dimension Westcon-Comstor and REAL Security Bechtle and RIS/Evoware
Geographic addition Operations across eight Balkan countries, as listed by Datatec Portuguese locations in Aveiro, Lisbon and Porto; Bechtle cited wider Iberian synergies
Business model Value-added cybersecurity distribution IT consulting and services, including systems integration
Customers and route to market VARs, MSPs and MSSPs Primarily enterprise and mid-market IT customers
Disclosed scale Eight operating countries; employee count and revenue not stated in Datatec’s announcement 165 employees and more than €50 million in 2025 revenue, as reported by Bechtle in 2026
Operating approach Local cybersecurity vendor and reseller relationships within a larger distribution platform RIS and Evoware brands continue within Bechtle, complementing Bechtle direct Portugal

In practical terms, Westcon-Comstor’s acquisition is aimed at strengthening its cybersecurity channel: it adds vendor relationships and local support for partner businesses in the Balkans. Bechtle’s deal adds services capacity in Portugal, enabling a broader consulting and delivery offer for direct business customers.

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