The combination of M5 Networks and Geckotech positions the company to handle business-grade hosted VOIP services in the Midwest and other regions.
Hosted VOIP provider M5 Networks announced on Nov. 3 that it has acquired
Chicago-based Geckotech for $8 million.
The combined companies will handle what company officials describe as the
"exploding demand" for
business-grade
hosted VOIP services.
Geckotech's CEO, Josh Robbins, will join
M5
Networks as vice president of business development. Kerrin Parker, M5
Networks' current vice president, will relocate to Chicago
to manage integration efforts, said M5 Networks.
Under the deal, M5 Networks will take over all of Geckotech's staff,
customers and data centers, the company said. M5 Networks claims that with this
acquisition it will become the largest specialized hosted VOIP provider in the United
States.
"Together we can enable our customers to use advanced phone system
technology to become more efficient and informed organizations," said Robbins.
With the poor economic climate and companies slashing IT budgets, demand has
grown for
hosted
VOIP services. Organizations, whether they are large enterprises, midsized
or small businesses, looked at hosted telephony to cut costs without giving up
critical communications applications.
Geckotech offered customers a
Cisco-powered
hosted VOIP platform as well as additional services, including phone
service installation, system management and in-house customer support. The
company offered free maintenance, and unlimited system and feature upgrades.
Geckotech was evaluating ways to overhaul its technology to obtain an
enhanced phone experience and robust applications "without the use of
licensing arrangements," said M5 Networks. Geckotech did not specify its
reasons for not wanting to license the technology.
Geckotech selected M5 Networks' Call Conductor platform and rolled it out to
some existing customers, M5 Networks said. With the acquisition, the remaining
Geckotech customers will be "seamlessly" integrated to M5 Networks'
systems throughout the next year, said M5 Networks.
"We have built the best delivery system and back office in the business
and are excited to offer it to another customer base," said Dan Hoffman, president
and CEO of M5 Networks.
All customers will have immediate access to the Call Conductor platform
using their existing phones, M5 Networks said. They will also get access to
advanced call center, CRM integration,
business intelligence and conferencing, said M5 Networks, making good on Gecko's
promise of "free upgrades for life."
"Our customers are going to love this," said Randa Bradley,
Geckotech's director of operations, regarding usage of M5 Networks' systems.
M5 has been broadening its partnerships with regional operators over the
past few months, inking deals with New Jersey-based Entel Systems,
Atlanta-based CorData and Southeastern provider Firm Tech to provide VOIP
services.
M5 Networks competes in the
IP Centrex space. IP Centrex (which stands for Central Exchange)
is a feature-rich, interoperable, broadband IP telephony platform specifically
designed for businesses. M5 Networks Smart Business Phone systems integrate
flexible and reliable phone software with business critical applications to
create a cloud-based voice service. The hosted M5 Connect platform also
integrates with third-party applications, such as the CRM
application JobDiva.
M5 Networks provides hosted VOIP services to more than 1,300 companies,
including Amnesty International and Etsy.
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