Daisy Group

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Daisy Group
TypeLimited company
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded2001; 20 years ago (2001)
HeadquartersNelson, Lancashire, England
Key people
  • Matthew Riley, Founder and Executive Chairman
  • Steve Smith, CFO
Websitewww.daisycomms.co.uk

Daisy Group Limited (formerly known as Freedom4 Group plc and Pipex Communications plc) is a British company that sells Internet and telecommunications services, including internet hosting, broadband Internet connections, and VOIP.

History[]

The company traces back to the October 2003 acquisition of Pipex by GX Networks, to create Pipex Communications plc.[1] The following month Firstnet Services changed its name to PIPEX Communications Business Solutions.[2]

Pipex purchased AIM Listed Host Europe plc in April 2004.[3]

Pipex acquired the business communications provider Nildram in August 2004.[4]

In 2005, the company purchased Donhost[5] and freedom2surf.[6] and was named the 'Fastest Growing Technology Business in the UK' in the 2005 Sunday Times Tech Track[7]

John Caudwell sold Caudwell Communications UK Limited which traded as Homecall in March 2006. Homecall then began trading as Pipex Homecall.[8]

In 2006 Pipex bought Supanetwork for £2.1 million in cash.[9] This was followed by Toucan and the customer base of Bulldog Broadband.[10]

In March 2007 the company appointed UBS to consider its strategic options, in regards to a possible sale of the company.[11] Tiscali UK announced in July that year that it would purchase the Pipex voice and broadband division for £210 million.[12] The sale completed in September.[13] The remaining assets not sold to Tiscali UK were put up for sale at the same time.[14]

The remaining Pipex assets were renamed as Freedom4 Communications plc in March 2008.[15] Freedom4 bought UK based WiFi roaming services provider BOZII and renamed the service FREEDOM4 WiFi.[16] Freedom4 renamed itself Freedom4 Group in August 2008.[17]

In July 2009, FREEDOM4 bought Daisy Communications (founded in 2001 in Nelson, Lancashire[18]) in a reverse takeover. The two companies came together with Vialtus to become Daisy Group plc.[19] In 2009 Daisy Group also floated on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market.

In February 2010, Daisy Group bought the entire issued share capital of Managed Communications, a provider of data networks, for a potential initial cash consideration of £6.3m.[20]

In June 2010, Daisy Group sold its WiMax licensing business which was once part of its Freedom4 subsidiary to PCCW-owned UK Broadband.[21] Daisy Group bought the entire issued share capital of murphx Innovative Solutions Limited, a wholesale connectivity and hosting carrier that was voted ISP of the Year in the Comms Business Awards 2009 for an initial cash consideration of £4.8m. The business became Daisy Wholesale.[22]

In December 2010, Daisy Group bought controversial NHS GP phone system provider Network Europe Group (NEG) for £23.5m.[23][24]

In 2011, Daisy Group acquired O-bit Telecom, which initially operated independently under the group,[25] but subsequently became part of Daisy Wholesale.

In January 2015, with a market value of £500m and 1,500 employees, Daisy became a private company.[26]

Daisy acquired Damovo UK[27] and Phoenix IT Group.[28]

In December 2016, Daisy Group made its 50th acquisition by purchasing Alternative Networks plc for £184m.[29]

In 2018, Daisy Group acquired Voice Mobile[30] and DV02.[31]

In 2019, Daisy Group separated into four independent businesses. These companies were rebranded and renamed as; Daisy Communications, Daisy Corporate Services, Aurora and Digital Wholesale Solutions

References[]

  1. ^ "GX Networks to buy Pipex for £55m". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  2. ^ "pipexgroup.com". Pipexgroup.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Pipex acquires Host Europe for £31m". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Pipex swallows Nildram". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Pipex snaps up web host outfit". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Pipex gobbles up Freedom 2 Surf". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  7. ^ TWK. "Fast Track". Fast Track. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Pipex buys Caudwell's fixed line phone biz". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  9. ^ [1] Archived 29 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Lucy Sherriff (7 September 2006). "Pipex snaps up Toucan, Bulldog". The Register. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Pipex puts itself up for sale". The Times. Retrieved 25 April 2015. (subscription required)
  12. ^ "Tiscali buys Pipex broadband unit". BBC News. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Tiscali swallows Pipex broadband and voice". The Register. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  14. ^ [2] Archived 29 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ [3] Archived 26 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Topics | ZDNet". News.zdnet.co.uk. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  17. ^ "FREEDOM4 Group plc: Private Company Information – Businessweek". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  18. ^ Bridge, Rachel (18 November 2007). "Bank prize helps Daisy to flower". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  19. ^ "Freedom4 Group plc (to be renamed Daisy Group plc)". London Stock Exchange. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  20. ^ [4] Archived 5 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ [5] Archived 19 July 2012 at archive.today
  22. ^ "UPDATE 1-Daisy posts 15-mth loss; to buy data services firm". Reuters. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  23. ^ "Daisy snaps up healthcare VAR – 02 Dec 2010". CRN UK. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  24. ^ "BCMS Corporate answers the call of Network Europe Group". BCMS Corporate. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  25. ^ "Broadband news and help from". Simplifydigital. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  26. ^ "Daisy Group chief to buy out company for £494m". The Telegraph. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  27. ^ "We told you so! Daisy Group slurps up Damovo UK". The Registry. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  28. ^ "Daisy Group completes acquisition of Phoenix IT Group". Daisy Group. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Daisy Group acquires Alternative Networks plc". Daisy Group. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  30. ^ "Daisy Acquires Partner Voice Mobile | Comms Business". www.commsbusiness.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  31. ^ "Daisy Group Acquires B2B Reseller DV02". UC Today. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2021.

External links[]

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