KPMG's appointment follows a competitive tender process led by the audit committee and will be recommended to the company's shareholders at the 2017 annual general meeting.

PwC will continue in the role and undertake the audit of the Group's consolidated accounts for the year ending 30 April 2017.

Richard Atkins, chairman of the audit committee, said: ‘PwC have been the company's auditors since the IPO in 2005. The most recent change in audit partner happened in the year ended 30 April 2013, partner rotation therefore coincided with the legal requirement to go out to tender.

‘The board would like to thank PwC for the professionalism and commitment over the years. The audit committee carried out a detailed, open and transparent tender process and looks forward to working with KPMG in the future.’

PwC has been the external auditor at Micro Focus since it became a UK listed company in 2005 at which time the firm were also the tax advisors to the group. In 2008 Micro Focus appointed Deloitte as principal tax advisors, a position they continue to hold.

According to the 2016 annual report, Micro Focus paid PwC $3.5m/£2.8m (2015: $3.3m) for audit services, $800,000 (2015: $100,000) for audit related assurance services, $100,000 (2015: $200,000) for services related to taxation and $1.8m (2015: $5.1m) for other non-audit services.

$6.2m

in a contract