Celerity acquires Ranger4 to boost automation & AI

Celerity has acquired Ranger4, expanding its automation and AI business.

The UK-based hybrid cloud and IT managed services provider said the deal adds automation and organisational readiness consulting to its existing infrastructure and security work. Ranger4 specialises in IBM AI and automation.

The acquisition comes as Celerity broadens its offer to large organisations managing complex hybrid technology environments, targeting sectors including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare and the public sector.

The combined business will focus on two areas many IT departments are struggling to manage: secrets security and cloud spending. Those challenges have grown as companies spread applications and data across on-premise systems and multiple cloud platforms.

Broader offer

Secrets management has become a central concern for security teams because credentials such as API keys, database passwords and encryption tokens are often dispersed across systems and teams. When those credentials are hard-coded into software, shared manually or rotated infrequently, the risk of breaches and operational disruption rises.

Part of Celerity's expanded service will centre on automating the lifecycle of those credentials, with the aim of centralising control, limiting access and reducing human handling of sensitive information.

Cloud cost control is the other main area of focus. Many organisations have adopted cloud services quickly, but finance, engineering and operations teams often still lack a shared view of how spending decisions are made and where costs originate. As a result, companies can end up reacting to bills after systems have already gone live.

Its FinOps work is designed to bring cost accountability into engineering decisions before deployment. In practice, that means giving teams more visibility into the financial effect of technical choices as they build and run systems.

Regional push

Celerity also pointed to its growing presence in the North of England, noting that it opened an office in Spinningfields, Manchester, in 2025, adding to its existing regional footprint.

Michael Gowen, Chief Revenue Officer at Celerity, said: "Celerity has had a presence in the North for years, but opening our Spinningfields office in 2025 gave us a city hub that reflects the scale of what we're doing in the region. The acquisition of Ranger4 strengthens our automation and AI capability at exactly the right time, and DTX Manchester is the ideal event to bring that to life. If you're an IT leader trying to get control of secrets sprawl, cloud spend, or both, we'd welcome the conversation."

The acquisition also deepens Celerity's relationship with IBM. Celerity is an IBM Platinum Business Partner, while Ranger4 has been described as an IBM AI specialist.

Celerity was recently named IBM's Most Successful Business Partner - Select Segment 2025, an award that reflects its standing within IBM's partner network as it grows its consulting and managed services business.

For customers, the logic behind the acquisition is straightforward. Companies running hybrid estates increasingly want fewer suppliers that can link infrastructure management, cyber resilience, automation and cost control in a single engagement.

That demand is especially acute in regulated and operationally complex sectors. Financial services firms must manage strict controls around data and access, manufacturers often run a mix of legacy and modern systems, healthcare organisations face heightened sensitivity around records and uptime, and public sector bodies are under pressure to balance digital investment with budget scrutiny.

Celerity argues that automation can improve both resilience and efficiency. In secrets management, it reduces manual intervention around credentials. In cloud finance, it gives teams earlier signals about the spending effect of deployment decisions.

Celerity has not disclosed financial terms for the Ranger4 acquisition, but said the deal is intended to strengthen its position in the UK market for hybrid cloud, security, automation and managed services.

Unmanaged secrets such as API keys, database credentials and encryption tokens remain one of the most common and least visible risks in enterprise IT.