ju5t
08/05/06, 10:38
The investment firm GI Partners has purchased a controlling interest in The Planet and EV1Servers, two of the industry's largest dedicated hosting specialists, according to industry sources. The new owner has lengthy experience in the hosting and data center business.
The Planet and EV1Servers are the fourth and seventh-largest hosting providers in the world, according to Netcraft's Hosting Provider Switching Analysis, and the top two dedicated hosting specialists. Each experienced explosive growth during the past three years, driven by the surging popularity of dedicated servers. The Planet, which is headquartered in Dallas, hosts 896K active sites and 1.3 million hostnames, while Houston-based EV1Servers is home to 685K active sites and 1.2 million hostnames.
Additional details of the deals are expected to be announced early next week by GI Partners. The Planet and EV1Servers will maintain independent operations and identities but may operate with a consolidated balance sheet, according to industry sources, who said customers are unlikely to see any immediate changes.
GI Partners was founded in 2001 with more than $500 million in financial backing from CB Richard Ellis Investors and CALPERS, the world's largest public pension fund. Its primary focus was the data center and Internet gateway sector, where it was able to acquire premier properties at attractive prices due to oversupply and bankruptcies in the hosting and telecom sectors. In 2004 the company bundled its 21 data center properties and created a real estate investment trust, Digital Realty Trust, which was taken public and now owns more than 10 million square feet of technology real estate.
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2006/05/05/the_planet_ev1servers_are_acquired_by_gi_partners. html
EV1 AND THE PLANET ANNOUNCE MERGER
Combination Creates Industry-leading Dedicated Hosting Company; Combined Company Will Continue to Deliver Industry-leading Client Experience
Houston, TX and Dallas, TX, May [6], 2006 – Everyones Internet (EV1) and The Planet, two leading providers of dedicated hosting, announced today that they have merged.
Clients of both EV1 and The Planet will continue to enjoy the same industry-leading products and services they have come to expect. The combined entity will further develop both the EV1 and The Planet brands, supporting over 20,000 clients and 50,000 dedicated servers. This combination creates the largest dedicated hosting provider in the market, which has the scope, scale and financial strength to deliver superior service levels and innovative product offerings to existing and new clients.
The merger between EV1 and The Planet follows controlling investments recently made in each by GI Partners, a leading private equity firm with deep experience in technology infrastructure.
“The merger is exciting news for all stakeholders,” said Robert Marsh, Headsurfer and founder of EV1. “It will be seamless from a client perspective and will result in a host of benefits for our clients.”
“The opportunities created by this merger are extremely exciting, and we look forward to combining our resources for the benefit of our clients,” commented Peter Pathos, founder of The Planet.
“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to invest in further building upon the strong foundations at EV1 and The Planet,” said Howard Park, Managing Director of GI Partners. “Our aim is to provide the additional access to financial and other resources that will enable the combined company to continue growing profitably while further improving service levels, expanding product offerings, and enhancing the total client experience.”
About EV1
EV1, based in Houston, Texas, provides dedicated internet technology services to small and mid-sized companies, including sole proprietors and technically sophisticated individuals. For more information, please visit www.ev1servers.net.
About The Planet
The Planet, based in Dallas, Texas, delivers enterprise-level hosting solutions that are readily available, affordable, and scalable. The Planet offers dedicated servers, co-location, Internet access, email and business continuance. For additional information, visit www.theplanet.com.
About GI Partners
With offices in Menlo Park and London, GI Partners is a leading private equity firm with $2 billion of capital under management. The firm invests in companies with recurring revenue and asset-intensive business models in North America and Western Europe. For more information, please visit www.gipartners.com.
Jeff Lowenberg
EV1Servers.net
http://forums.ev1servers.net/showthread.php?p=382235
The Planet and EV1Servers are the fourth and seventh-largest hosting providers in the world, according to Netcraft's Hosting Provider Switching Analysis, and the top two dedicated hosting specialists. Each experienced explosive growth during the past three years, driven by the surging popularity of dedicated servers. The Planet, which is headquartered in Dallas, hosts 896K active sites and 1.3 million hostnames, while Houston-based EV1Servers is home to 685K active sites and 1.2 million hostnames.
Additional details of the deals are expected to be announced early next week by GI Partners. The Planet and EV1Servers will maintain independent operations and identities but may operate with a consolidated balance sheet, according to industry sources, who said customers are unlikely to see any immediate changes.
GI Partners was founded in 2001 with more than $500 million in financial backing from CB Richard Ellis Investors and CALPERS, the world's largest public pension fund. Its primary focus was the data center and Internet gateway sector, where it was able to acquire premier properties at attractive prices due to oversupply and bankruptcies in the hosting and telecom sectors. In 2004 the company bundled its 21 data center properties and created a real estate investment trust, Digital Realty Trust, which was taken public and now owns more than 10 million square feet of technology real estate.
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2006/05/05/the_planet_ev1servers_are_acquired_by_gi_partners. html
EV1 AND THE PLANET ANNOUNCE MERGER
Combination Creates Industry-leading Dedicated Hosting Company; Combined Company Will Continue to Deliver Industry-leading Client Experience
Houston, TX and Dallas, TX, May [6], 2006 – Everyones Internet (EV1) and The Planet, two leading providers of dedicated hosting, announced today that they have merged.
Clients of both EV1 and The Planet will continue to enjoy the same industry-leading products and services they have come to expect. The combined entity will further develop both the EV1 and The Planet brands, supporting over 20,000 clients and 50,000 dedicated servers. This combination creates the largest dedicated hosting provider in the market, which has the scope, scale and financial strength to deliver superior service levels and innovative product offerings to existing and new clients.
The merger between EV1 and The Planet follows controlling investments recently made in each by GI Partners, a leading private equity firm with deep experience in technology infrastructure.
“The merger is exciting news for all stakeholders,” said Robert Marsh, Headsurfer and founder of EV1. “It will be seamless from a client perspective and will result in a host of benefits for our clients.”
“The opportunities created by this merger are extremely exciting, and we look forward to combining our resources for the benefit of our clients,” commented Peter Pathos, founder of The Planet.
“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to invest in further building upon the strong foundations at EV1 and The Planet,” said Howard Park, Managing Director of GI Partners. “Our aim is to provide the additional access to financial and other resources that will enable the combined company to continue growing profitably while further improving service levels, expanding product offerings, and enhancing the total client experience.”
About EV1
EV1, based in Houston, Texas, provides dedicated internet technology services to small and mid-sized companies, including sole proprietors and technically sophisticated individuals. For more information, please visit www.ev1servers.net.
About The Planet
The Planet, based in Dallas, Texas, delivers enterprise-level hosting solutions that are readily available, affordable, and scalable. The Planet offers dedicated servers, co-location, Internet access, email and business continuance. For additional information, visit www.theplanet.com.
About GI Partners
With offices in Menlo Park and London, GI Partners is a leading private equity firm with $2 billion of capital under management. The firm invests in companies with recurring revenue and asset-intensive business models in North America and Western Europe. For more information, please visit www.gipartners.com.
Jeff Lowenberg
EV1Servers.net
http://forums.ev1servers.net/showthread.php?p=382235