Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2012/08/20/cloud_biz_iomart_manchester_acquisition/

Cloud-puffing Iomart goes south - to gobble Manc biz Melbourne

Data centre tentacles spread across Blighty

By Anna Leach

Posted in On-Prem, 20th August 2012 07:04 GMT

UK biz Iomart is spreading its cloud south and bolstering biz services by buying up Manchester-based Melbourne Server Hosting, in an acquisition announced last week.

Glasgow-headquartered Iomart will get two data centres and offices in Manchester's Technopark as part of the deal, and will take over hosting for 600 customers – including JJB Sports and satire site the Daily Mash.

Iomart CEO Angus MacSween said Manchester was an important place for the cloud biz to have a base:

“This is an important acquisition for us as it gives us our first physical data centre presence in the north of England. It increases iomart Group’s network of fully owned and managed UK data centres to seven and puts us firmly at the heart of the growing online and media business hub that Manchester has become.”

Melbourne started 10 years ago and has 30 employees.

Iomart did not disclose the purchase price but the company is said to have paid £7m for Melbourne, according to press reports.

Separately, Iomart also last week announced it had bought Skymarket, a Surrey web hosting business, for up to £1.24m.

Iomart Group plc owns and manages data centres in London, Maidenhead, Glasgow, Leicester and Nottingham. Customers include Manchester-based GMG Radio (part of Guardian Media Group), Shine TV, fashion retailer Reiss and the London School of Economics. ®