CIO

Creating scale key as Plan B acquires ICONZ

“This acquisition was a natural next step following our investment in managed voice and network services last year."
Ian Forrester - Manager Director, Plan B

Ian Forrester - Manager Director, Plan B

Plan B has acquired long-standing Internet Service Provider ICONZ, in a move designed to create scale as a provider of business and continuity solutions.

Effect from February 1, 2016, the business continuity specialists says the acquisition will add to the company’s cloud, networking and data centre offerings across New Zealand.

“This acquisition was a natural next step following our investment in managed voice and network services last year,” says Ian Forrester, Managing Director, Plan B.

“It will provide additional scale across the new merged business, including access to a national data centre network of over 300 racks, and opportunities for both customer sets to access a broad range of complementary services.”

As a founding ISP in New Zealand, ICONZ has a long history in providing cloud hosted infrastructure, data centre colocation, managed networking and voice services to New Zealand business and residential customers.

Since its creation in 1992, the company has expanded its product offering to offer a broad range of IT services, including connectivity, cloud, business continuity, security, voice, colocation and managed services.

“We are excited about this acquisition,” adds Jack Talbot, General Manager, ICONZ.

“Plan B brings extensive business continuity, infrastructure and connectivity expertise to the combined business.

“ICONZ offers cloud services, data centre and network management skills. These are highly complementary competencies and our customers now gain access to a broader portfolio of leading-edge products.”

Speaking to Reseller News, Forrester says Talbot has committed to the transitional period of the acquisition, with both companies to continue trading under their respective brands for the foreseeable future.

By April 1, Plan B’s new financial year, Forrester says the companies will merge their expertise to provide customers with a more robust in-depth and comprehensive service offering.

As such, the acquisition is part of a wider strategy following a period of significant growth in Plan B’s cloud services business over the past few years, highlighted through its recent crowning as a Homegrown Innovator at the 2015 Reseller News ICT Industry Awards.

Forrester says the combined business group will now offer multiple products in the categories of business continuity, telecommunications and hosted infrastructure services.