Claranet reaches for Star

Claranet has acquired UK managed service provider Star in a deal worth £55m.

The move, says Claranet, will create the largest mid-market provider of integrated hosting and network services in the UK and continental Europe.

Operating under the Claranet brand, the expanded company will have revenues of more than £120m, circa 700 staff, 4,500 customers, and operations in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. Claranet’s customers will include Airbus, Amnesty International, Care UK, Channel 5, Veolia, Signet, CSH, IRIS, De Vere Hotels and Richmond Events.

“This announcement confirms our ambition to become the clear European leader in the delivery of managed services,” comments Charles Nasser, CEO and gounder of the Claranet Group.

“This is nothing short of a British entrepreneurial success story, as both companies were founded here in the UK.”

The firm is acquiring STH Limited and its subsidiary, Star Technology Services Limited. The trading entities will be maintained and will become wholly owned by Claranet Limited.

The new business will have a service portfolio ranging “from the datacentre to the desktop”. In addition to managed hosting and network services, Star customers will now have access to Claranet’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering, Virtual Data Centre, as well as managed application hosting services. Meanwhile, Star’s strength in Unified Communications, remote desktop and advanced security services will complement Claranet’s existing portfolio.

Michel Robert, MD of Claranet UK, says: “Star is a leader in providing managed services in the UK and therefore a natural fit for Claranet. Star has developed a strong base of customers, has a well-defined service portfolio as well as a talented and dedicated team.”