Vocus Communications

Vocus Communications is a national telecommunications company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Founded as a business telecommunications provider, Vocus owns a significant fibre network across Australia and New Zealand.^[1] Vocus offers Data Network services like Internet, Ethernet, Dark Fibre, IP WAN, Unified Communications and Telephony and Cloud^[2] to mid, large and corporate businesses direct and also acts as a wholesaler.^[3] The company owns and operates 18 Data Centres across Australia and New Zealand and has an onshore Network Operations Centre (NOC) run by the engineers who built the network.^[4]

Vocus merged with Amcom in 2015 of FY14 and M2 Group in 2016. Ahead of its AU$3.75 billion merger^[5] with M2 Group, which happened on 22 February 2016, it reported profits of AU$62.25M.^[6] The merger made Vocus Australia's fourth largest telecommunications company with 471,000 subscribers.^[7]

The company also acquired Nextgen Networks for $861 million reported June 2016 and set to close by October 2016.^[8] This allows Vocus access to the NBN backhaul as well as infrastructure in Northern Australia serving the offshore gas projects.^[8]

Subsidiaries

• Eftel
• ClubTelco
• iPrimus
• Dodo Services
• Amnet
• aaNet
• Macquarie Telecom (16% control)^[9]
• Planet Netcom
• CallPlus
• Slingshot
• Engin
• Orcon Internet Limited
• Commander Australia
• Nextgen Networks

History

Vocus was founded by James Spenceley^[9] in March 2008.^[10] In 2013, James Spenceley came in at No 81 on the BRW's Young Rich list after the business raised its annual revenue to $67 million.^[11] Two years later, Spenceley became one of the youngest Australians in history to run a company worth more than $1 billion after Vocus merged with Perth-based Amcom.^[12]

Amcom was founded in 1988^[13] by Andrew Mclean to provide cabling services to CBD-based corporations and institutions in Perth. Amcom acquired a telecommunications carrier licence in 1998^[14] and began building a fibre optic network. In 2009 Amcom won the Best Telecommunications Company of the Year 2009 - Australian Telecommunications Magazine.^[15]

In December 2014, the board of Amcom approved the acquisition of the group by Vocus for AU$653 million.^[16] In April 2015, rival TPG Telecom increased its shareholder stake in Amcom to 18.6 per cent in an attempt to block the merger.^[17] TPG eventually built its stake to 19.9 per cent of Amcom.^[18] In response, a campaign to persuade at least 75 per cent of shareholders to vote in favour of the merger was launched by both Amcom and Vocus. On June 15, 2015, the merger went ahead after 77 percent of Amcom shareholders voted in favour of the merger. In July 2015 the $1.2 billion merger between Amcom and Vocus was formally completed.^[18] On June 29, 2015, CEO Clive Stein resigned after a 16-year career with the company in order to make way for incoming Vocus CEO James Spenceley to takeover the combined group.^[19]

Executive director and founder James Spenceley and non executive director Tony Grist left the board of Vocus in October 2016 after a failed leadership succession proposal. ^[20]

Vocus Acquisitions

Vocus has made several acquisitions to extend its product and service offering. In 2014, Vocus purchased a data centre from ASG Group for $11.7 million.^[21] In 2014 it also acquired Bentley data centre in Perth from IT solutions provider ASG for $11.7m.^[22] The same year, it acquired FX Networks,^[23] a New Zealand based fibre provider which services many of New Zealand’s major organisations including many government agencies, telco carriers, ISPs and enterprises.^[24] In 2015, it acquired Enterprise Data Corporation, including two Sydney and Melbourne based data centres for $23.5 million.^[25][26] In 2015, Vocus acquired SEA-ME-WE 3 Cable,^[27] increasing the company’s investment in Western Australia.^[28]

Amcom acquisitions

In September 2005, Amcom acquired the customers of Perth Internet service provider Arachnet for A$1.6 million, adding 5,200 broadband and 2,100 dial-up customers to their user base, increasing Amcom's total broadband numbers to 7,500.^[29] In April 2007 Amcom Telecommunications completed the A$6.25 million acquisition of People Telecom’s Perth-based corporate services business.^[30] The acquired assets include a client base using fibre and DSL-based broadband services and a large data centre facility with some 600 square metres of space.^[31] In February 2010, Amcom announced that it intended to acquire 100% of the issued share capital of IP Systems Pty Ltd, an IP communications company delivering voice, video and data solutions to Australia and New Zealand.^[32] The $5.3 million acquisition was completed in May 2010.^[33] Amcom bought out L7 Solutions Pty Ltd in 2012 for AUD $15 million.^[34] This allowed Amcom to expand its footprint in IT integration, managed services and consulting and additional of about 200 clients.^[34]

References

External links

• Amcom Telecommunications official website
• Amcom/Amnet sub forum on Whirlpool
• Amcom/Amnet listing on Broadband Choice

Internet service providers of Australia
Economy of Australia Internet Censorship
Current	AusBBS BigAir Connexus Internet Dreamtilt DeVoteD NBN Exetel Vocus (ClubTelco, Dodo Services, Eftel, iPrimus, Amnet) NBNSP Optus (Virgin Broadband) Origin Net SkyMesh Telstra (BigPond,Pacnet) TPG Telecom (Adam Internet, iiNet, Internode, Westnet) Vodafone ZettaNet
Wholesale	NBN TPG Telecom (AAPT Limited, Agile Communications, Chime Communications, PIPE Networks) Nextgen Networks Origin Net Telstra Wholesale
Former	Chariot Connect.com.au Grapevine Neighbourhood Cable Netspace OPEL Networks OzEmail Pacific Internet Pegasus Networks People Telecom Amcom M2 Group
Related topics	Internet in Australia National Broadband Network