Strategic business combination blends companies’ hosting and compliance expertise; transaction includes wholly owned 77,000-square-foot data center in Kansas City, Mo.
PLANO, Texas – Nov. 18, 2010 – Layered Technologies, Inc. (Layered Tech), a leading worldwide provider of on-demand and cloud computing IT infrastructure, today announced the acquisition of GSI Hosting (GSI) as part of Layered Tech’s accelerating growth within the enterprise managed services sector. GSI’s compliance-oriented products complement Layered Tech’s on-demand and cloud computing infrastructure, creating a powerful technology platform and portfolio of services that’s uncommon in the market today. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
GSI, which was the first hosting provider in the world to achieve PCI DSS certification, has established itself as the leading provider of compliance-focused hosting services, particularly for the financial services industry. Founded in 1996 by president and CEO Robin Greenhagen, GSI’s world-class customer base includes many leading consumer and financial services brands. In connection with the acquisition, Greenhagen joins Layered Tech as chief technology officer.
“We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Robin and his team. The acquisition of GSI brings a wealth of talented employees, unique proprietary technology, market-leading compliance capabilities and deep customer relationships that will strengthen the combined business,” said Layered Tech Chairman and CEO Jack Finlayson. “This strategic combination further expands the value that we can deliver to our combined customer base as we integrate our respective technology and service capabilities.”
The transaction also supports Layered Tech’s goal of growing its inventory of top-tier assets around the world, including GSI’s wholly owned 77,000-square-foot data center in Kansas City, Mo., and its facilities throughout North America, Canada and Europe.
“We are excited by the opportunity to join the Layered Tech family. Layered Tech and GSI take the same collaborative approach to delivering market leading services to our customers,” said Greenhagen. “I look forward to merging our knowledge and expertise to build an unparalleled service portfolio. Together we have the experience, talent and vision to continue growing and innovating, and we have powerful financial partners who are committed to investing in Layered Tech’s growth.”
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In February 2010, Layered Tech announced it received significant growth equity funding from a group of investors led by Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity investment firm.
Ben Bisconti, Managing Director of Accel-KKR, said, “Accel-KKR and its co-investors were pleased to support Layered Tech in its acquisition of GSI. We believe that the combination of Layered Tech’s managed hosting leadership and GSI’s compliance leadership will create a unique strategic solutions provider in the market. We look forward to continuing to support the combined company’s growth.”
About GSI Hosting
GSI (www.gsihosting.com) provides managed hosting services to companies with complex infrastructure, connectivity, or data security and compliance needs. GSI’s enterprise-class data centers in North America, Canada and Europe, combined with 24×7 ServerHeroes™ management, assure applications remain available and secure at all times. GSI’s “Let’s Get It Done Right” commitment brings a superior level of confidence and freedom to IT professionals, allowing clients to achieve a more strategic approach in their business operations. For more information, please visit the website or contact sales@gsihosting.com.
About Layered Technologies
Layered Technologies is a leading global provider of managed dedicated hosting, on-demand virtualization/cloud computing and Web services. By providing high-quality technology, infrastructure and support, Layered Tech enables customers to eliminate capital expenses and save on operating costs while focusing on core business issues. Layered Tech’s scalable infrastructure powers millions of sites and Internet-enabled applications including ecommerce and software as a service (SaaS). Our clients range from leading-edge Web 2.0 startups, successful midsized enterprises and some of the world’s largest consultancy and integration firms. For more information about Layered Technologies, please visit www.LayeredTech.com or call 1-866-584-6784.
