Cycrest Systems Inc., a Spokane-based information technology services provider, has bought competitor Allied Systems LLC and is in the process of moving into Allied's space at 427 W. Sinto, says Cycrest President Jonathan Ferraiuolo.

Cycrest, which is owned by Ferraiuolo and Ronald Anderson, and has 20 technicians and other personnel on staff, is growing as it takes on new clients and expands the number of services it's offering, Ferraiuolo says.

He says he is looking at adding more personnel, and is in the process of conducting interviews to do so.

The company has been leasing space in the Lincoln Plaza, at 818 W. Riverside, since 1994, but now will begin leasing the space occupied by Allied at the 427 Center, at 427 W. Sinto, he says.

The space at the 427 Center is 40 percent larger than what Cycrest was leasing at Lincoln Plaza, and won't require any remodeling, he says. The company will begin operating there Nov. 1.

Cycrest, which has been in business since 1992, sells, installs, and supports computer hardware, and software, and networking and operating systems. For customers with fewer than 75 computers, it's an off-site IT provider, while for larger companies with up to 500 computers it serves as a backup support provider.

James Charbonneau, owner of Allied, says he is retiring, and, "I didn't want to abandon clients to somebody I had no knowledge of."

Allied was founded in 1973, and began doing computer and network support in the late 1980s, Charbonneau says. It marketed and installed computer-related data networks and office products together with digital telecommunications systems, its Web site says. It had 14 employees at its peak, about two years ago, he says. Remaining technical support personnel at Allied were offered positions with Cycrest, Ferraiuolo and Charbonneau say.