UberGlobal buys Smartyhost, Ilisys

UberGlobal expects to completely integrate SmartyHost and Ilisys into its business within 18 months after snapping up the two MYOB-owned hosting firms for an undisclosed sum.

CEO Denis Jorgensen told iTnews the company was approached by MYOB in April and secured the purchase of the two hosting entities at the end of June.

The acquisition wrapped up on July 31 but was only publicly announced today.

Jorgensen said UberGlobal would retain the Smartyhost and Ilisys brands and their (data centre) point of presence in Melbourne.

"They have a point of presence in Melbourne, and we have presences in Canberra and Sydney," he said.

"Right now we actually think that geography makes sense for us, but over time who knows?"

Jorgensen expected "a lot of backend integration" over the next 18 months, including consolidation onto a single billing platform.

He hoped to sell some of UberGlobal's as-a-service products into the Smartyhost and Ilisys customer bases, "while being conscious [the two hosts] appeal to different parts of the market".

On the flipside, Jorgensen saw Ilisys' Holodeck hosting platform as a technology that could have broader application in UberGlobal's business.

"We're currently analysing whether we add that product offering into [our] UberGlobal, AussieHQ and Jumba [businesses]," he said.

Jorgensen declined to disclose customer numbers or how much was paid to MYOB for the two businesses.

MYOB retains a tie-up with Google that offers a free website to SMBs for a year, which is hosted on Amazon infrastructure. The product sits within MYOB's Atlas business, not in the hosting division.