May 19, 2006 : The webhost industry: week review
📅 - This week's Web hosting news, like the news in several recent weeks, was impacted most significantly by several announcements of particular significance. In this week's case, the announcement of Go Daddy's IPO plans and VeriSign's acquisition of GeoTrust led the way.
On Saturday, Go Daddy announced that it had filed registration forms to make an initial public offering of stock in the company. Speculation has been stirring about the potential for an IPO since Go Daddy reportedly hired Lehman Brothers in April to manage the project. Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch & Co. will act as joint book-running managers for the offering, along with a set of co-managers. The number of shares and their price range has yet to be determined.
On Tuesday, Internet security firm VeriSign announced a deal to acquire its largest SSL competitor, GeoTrust, in a deal worth approximately $125 million in cash. VeriSign says the acquisition will expand its ability to secure Internet transactions, and will add an extensive reseller channel to its existing direct sales channel. GeoTrust works with more than 9,000 resellers in more than 140 countries. VeriSign currently serves more than 3,000 enterprise customers.
In reaction to that deal, SSL certificate provider Entrust announced that it would offer a two-for-one promotion in an effort to lure away GeoTrust customers fearful about what might become of their services following the acquisition. Entrust says the acquisition may mark a move by VeriSign to eliminate the biggest low-cost alternative to its more expensive SSL certificate services. Entrust seems intent on filling that role.
Also of considerable significance to the Web hosting business this week was the arrival of ISPCON for the spring of 2006. The event took place this week, attracting hundreds of service providers, and featuring the Web Host Industry Review as an official media sponsor.
On Tuesday, the event kicked off at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Tuesday's lineup included a keynote presentation entitled "Muni Networks: Partnering for Affordable Broadband," and presented by Earthlink's Donald B. Berryman and Motorola Networks' Raghu Rau. Other sessions included presentations on dedicated and VPS hosting strategies, hosting Exchange services, exploiting the managed security boom, VoIP strategies and wireless ISP success stories.
The event continued Wednesday with a greater focus on Web hosting issues. Presentation topics included hosting profitable on-demand applications and software services, competitive SWOT analysis for SME hosting success, maximizing data center dollars and leveraging hosting technologies to attract new business. Keynote presenter David Isenberg delivered an address entitled "Neutrality Reality," describing the resistance to all-powerful telecommunications companies. And theWHIR's Candice Rodriguez chaired a panel discussion on Web hosting success stories.
ISPCON wrapped up on Thursday, with presentations on managing services and IT outsourcing, e-commerce, new opportunities and issues in PCI and merchant services and marketing strategies for hosting companies. Conference organizer John Price said the greater presence of Web hosting at the conference was a reflection of the growing value of hosting as an Internet service.
In conversations with theWHIR, Price said the conference is focused on making money for companies in the Internet services industry, and as a result takes great care to meet the demands of attendees. He says the degree of passion exhibited at some of the more discussion-oriented events is a good indicator of the success of the formula. Price says participants in the CEO networking sessions were yelling, a demonstration of their genuine interest in the proceedings.
While ISPCON certainly produced the greatest volume of Web hosting news this week, its significance did not overshadow some of the major revelations that turned up this week, including the Go Daddy IPO and GeoTrust acquisitions, both events that will continue to unfold in the coming weeks.
On Saturday, Go Daddy announced that it had filed registration forms to make an initial public offering of stock in the company. Speculation has been stirring about the potential for an IPO since Go Daddy reportedly hired Lehman Brothers in April to manage the project. Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch & Co. will act as joint book-running managers for the offering, along with a set of co-managers. The number of shares and their price range has yet to be determined.
On Tuesday, Internet security firm VeriSign announced a deal to acquire its largest SSL competitor, GeoTrust, in a deal worth approximately $125 million in cash. VeriSign says the acquisition will expand its ability to secure Internet transactions, and will add an extensive reseller channel to its existing direct sales channel. GeoTrust works with more than 9,000 resellers in more than 140 countries. VeriSign currently serves more than 3,000 enterprise customers.
In reaction to that deal, SSL certificate provider Entrust announced that it would offer a two-for-one promotion in an effort to lure away GeoTrust customers fearful about what might become of their services following the acquisition. Entrust says the acquisition may mark a move by VeriSign to eliminate the biggest low-cost alternative to its more expensive SSL certificate services. Entrust seems intent on filling that role.
Also of considerable significance to the Web hosting business this week was the arrival of ISPCON for the spring of 2006. The event took place this week, attracting hundreds of service providers, and featuring the Web Host Industry Review as an official media sponsor.
On Tuesday, the event kicked off at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Tuesday's lineup included a keynote presentation entitled "Muni Networks: Partnering for Affordable Broadband," and presented by Earthlink's Donald B. Berryman and Motorola Networks' Raghu Rau. Other sessions included presentations on dedicated and VPS hosting strategies, hosting Exchange services, exploiting the managed security boom, VoIP strategies and wireless ISP success stories.
The event continued Wednesday with a greater focus on Web hosting issues. Presentation topics included hosting profitable on-demand applications and software services, competitive SWOT analysis for SME hosting success, maximizing data center dollars and leveraging hosting technologies to attract new business. Keynote presenter David Isenberg delivered an address entitled "Neutrality Reality," describing the resistance to all-powerful telecommunications companies. And theWHIR's Candice Rodriguez chaired a panel discussion on Web hosting success stories.
ISPCON wrapped up on Thursday, with presentations on managing services and IT outsourcing, e-commerce, new opportunities and issues in PCI and merchant services and marketing strategies for hosting companies. Conference organizer John Price said the greater presence of Web hosting at the conference was a reflection of the growing value of hosting as an Internet service.
In conversations with theWHIR, Price said the conference is focused on making money for companies in the Internet services industry, and as a result takes great care to meet the demands of attendees. He says the degree of passion exhibited at some of the more discussion-oriented events is a good indicator of the success of the formula. Price says participants in the CEO networking sessions were yelling, a demonstration of their genuine interest in the proceedings.
While ISPCON certainly produced the greatest volume of Web hosting news this week, its significance did not overshadow some of the major revelations that turned up this week, including the Go Daddy IPO and GeoTrust acquisitions, both events that will continue to unfold in the coming weeks.
Reads: 1238 | Category: General | Source: TheWHIR : Web Host Industry Reviews
URL source: http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/051906_The_Web_Host_Industry_Week_in_Review.cfm
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