Booz Allen says acquisition of Aquilent is delayed

Booz Allen Hamilton’s acquisition of a Laurel-based digital services and cloud firm is going to close later than expected.
The government contractor’s $250 million deal for Aquilent was supposed to be done by the end of 2016, but it’s now being pushed back to March 31, which is the end of Booz Allen’s fiscal year. An SEC filing detailing the delay said the two sides “continue to work on certain contract transition related matters.”
The deal would add 350 employees and create a digital services hub for the company in Laurel for a giant that’s looking to get more into tech and IT. Booz Allen Executive Vice President Greg Wenzel told GovCon Wire in December that the contracting giant wants to be able to offer digital services in addition to its management consulting and strategy work.
Aquilent focuses on user experience of government websites, which in this context means making digital tools more usable for citizens. The firm was lead web designer for the Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Postal Service and General Services Administration.
Washington Business Journal’s James Bach, who first reported the deal’s delay, noted that Booz Allen is a “pretty picky acquirer,” and also that this acquisition is a big one for the company.