Broadcast Australia has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the shares in Hostworks Group Limited ("Hostworks"). In the eight years since foundation, Hostworks has become recognised as Australia's leading provider of managed services for on-line media and entertainment companies, as well as for management and hosting of a broad range of critical applications.
Hostworks is trusted to manage the availability, performance and running costs of the critical on-line presence of a significant portfolio of blue-chip businesses. These include Australian national broadcasters ABC and SBS, ninemsn (the interactive media arm of commercial broadcaster, the Nine Network), sports and entertainment ticketing company, Ticketek Australia, and accommodation broker, Wotif.com. More than 15 per cent of all Internet pages viewed and traded-through by 10 million Australians each month are hosted by Hostworks.
In Hostworks, Broadcast Australia sees a high-quality business in an exciting market, with the ability to complement and expand a range of customer services. This acquisition provides Broadcast Australia with another platform for connecting customers to content owners, thereby expanding its leading service offering. It also enhances Broadcast Australia's ability to meet the evolving demands of new and existing customers—some of whom are shared with Hostworks.
At the same time, Hostworks gains access to the international breadth of contacts available through Broadcast Australia and Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group (MCG). The acquisition also provides a significant opportunity for Hostworks to build its capacity and services capabilities, for the benefit of all customers and employees.
Broadcast Australia's Managing Director, Graeme Barclay, said: "We are pleased to have entered into an agreement to acquire Hostworks, which enhances Broadcast Australia's core business of being a trusted provider connecting content owners to customers across multiple platforms. Hostworks is a high-quality business in a growing market and we look forward to helping it to flourish, through access to the reach and breadth of contacts available from Broadcast Australia and the broader MCG portfolio."
