Fast-growing broadband and telecoms provider Digiweb is planning further acquisitions in the coming year to enable it to expand locally and overseas, siliconrepublic.com has learned.
Speaking with siliconrepublic.com Digiweb chief executive, Colm Piercy (pictured) said the company intends to follow up on its acquisition of Novara with more acquisitions in the areas of hosting, broadband and telephony.
Digiweb bought hosting player Novara in April for an undisclosed sum.
“We are looking at making similar acquisitions,” Piercy explained. “We are looking for good businesses out there that are certainly well run, providing good service to customers and ideally occupying a number of niches.
“These acquisitions will be across the board, not restricted to Ireland either. Ireland will be our main focus, but we will certainly be looking at businesses in the UK and across Europe.
“We’re specifically looking in the hosting, voice and broadband areas, but mostly in the hosting and voice.”
Piercy also said the nationwide rollout of Digiweb’s 4G wireless network is continuing at pace and at present covers 65pc of the country. “Ultimately, our mobile network will cover 83pc of the country by the end of 2009.”
International expansion is on the cards for Digiweb and the company has already begun to deploy services in Northern Ireland. The company also has wireless licences in Iceland, Finland, the UK and Norway.
Piercy also said Digiweb’s expansion plans include satellite for western and eastern Europe and potentially the southern hemisphere.
“We’re deploying a satellite hub in Ireland and once that goes live it will give us full coverage across eastern Europe, Russia and most of North Africa. We are also looking at launching a second satellite over South Africa where the market has recently been deregulated,” Piercy explained.
Last week, Digiweb brought forward plans to recruit over 200 workers over three years, with 40 new staff expected to be taken on by the end of August.
The recruitment drive for 200 staff was announced in March 2007, following the launch of Digiweb’s data centre and Blanchardstown offices. The company has recruited more than 70 new staff so far in 2008, in technical, accounting, customer service and sales positions.
By John Kennedy
