Guess what, Canada? Rogers Corp is about to become part of the growing cloud. Rogers just purchased a data center operations called Blackiron Data from Primus Telecommunications Group. What was the going price? A cool $200 million!
What does Rogers plan to do with the new acquisition? The company could be setting up cheap web hosting of the cloud-type very soon. So far, Rogers representatives have made some statements regarding the purchase.
Rogers Future Plans
A Rogers spokesperson had this to say: “Rogers has clearly paid close attention to Bell Canada and Cogeco Cable’s moves in the space with the purchases of Q9 Networks and PEER1 Hosting. There is only a handful of independent hosting and cloud providers in Canada that could serve as a platform to get into the infrastructure services game and Blackiron fit the bill.”
That's not too far off base. The number of independent cheap web hosting cloud companies in Canada is, indeed, on the low side. With the purchase of Blackiron, Rogers has also purchased a complete customer base, and all the technology that goes with the recent purchase. In short, Rogers made a good deal.
What Blackiron Consists Of
The Blackiron data center currently includes 8 data centers that bring cloud services to more than 4,000 people throughout Canada. Rogers will, in turn, spread this even further, it seems. Not getting into the cheap web hosting cloud game would have been a mistake for the growing Canadian company. Clearly, this is a mistake that Rogers did not intend on making.
“This presence, along with its skilled and passionate team will ensure our collective sales teams are armed with the latest managed/hosted service offerings to meet the needs of current and prospective customers. We enthusiastically welcome Blackiron Data customers and employees to Rogers Communications.” If you're a Blackiron data customer, you have a new company to seek out when finding information or needing help, it seems.
Changes Being Made
So far, Rogers hasn't noted any real changes that will happen with Blackiron . But, you can expect the company to make some changes in the future. For now, Rogers is simply going along with the current Blackiron flow, and that means business as usual for Blackiron customers and Rogers alike.
Will this purchase impact your life? Not right now. In fact, it will create more cheap web hosting competition within Canada, and that's a good thing. Right now, the competition is really between a handful of companies that tend to control most of the cloud options. Rogers is a welcome addition. Any thoughts on this acquisition news?
