The Capita Group Plc has announced that it has acquired Ventura, a customer contact specialist for a cash consideration of £65 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis.

Ventura, the trading name of Club 24 Ltd, is the third party customer services management arm of Next plc and manages more than 50 million customer contacts each year for a range of additional private and public sector clients. Ventura is particularly strong in the private sector with clients including a number of leading telecoms, utilities and retail companies, such as O2, Orange, British Gas and BMI.

Ventura made a pro forma operating profit for its financial year to 31 January 2011 of £8 million on turnover of £156 million.

The acquisition will increase Capita's capacity for customer management services, providing additional front office services and flexible capacity for existing Group clients and the opportunity to provide entura's client base with access to Capita's wider service offering.