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Information and communications technology specialist Dimension Data announced that it is has fully acquired Earthwave, a privately owned Australian managed security services provider, in an effort to extend and strengthen Dimension Data’s managed security services, and support growth in the areas of cloud services, IT outsourcing and enterprise mobility.
The value of the acquisition has not been disclosed. Founded in 2000, with two Sydney-based security operations centers (SOCs), Earthwave specializes in proactive network security management through a comprehensive and integrated set of offerings.
The company offers a broad range of on-premises and cloud-based services, including managed security services, in-the-cloud security services, secure Internet gateways, cloud security and professional security services. Earthwave also specializes in secure operations center enablement, from architecture to best practice operational management and SOC augmentation services.
Dimension Data’s security expertise covers managed services, consulting and professional services. With the Earthwave acquisition, Dimension Data now has a team of 160 in its Australian Security Solutions business and over 500 globally.
“While Dimension Data’s focus is on organic growth, we always evaluate the option of build versus buy,” Rodd Cunico, CEO for Dimension Data Australia, said in a statement. “Based on the demands of our clients, we had a clear requirement to extend our security capabilities. In the case of Earthwave, the time and cost required for Dimension Data to achieve the security certifications required to extend the scope of our services made this acquisition a logical choice.
“While organizations increasingly recognize outsourcing, cloud services and enterprise mobility as enablers for innovation and transformation, security concerns are one of the major inhibitors to the adoption of these services,” Cunico said. “At the same time, cyber threats from individuals through to state-sponsored groups continue to rise.”
With the acquisition, Earthwave founder and CEO Carlo Minassian will become Dimension Data’s general manager for managed security services, reporting to Darren O’Loughlin, general manager of Dimension’s connectivity and security solutions practices. Minassian will continue to have responsibility for Earthwave, which a Dimension release noted will function as a separate business division of Dimension Data, maintaining its existing operations.
The acquisition is another indicator of Dimension’s growing focus on the information security space. Dimension Data parent company NTT recently announced that it will establish a new research and development center in San Mateo, Calif., to accelerate the development and provision of highest-grade information security and cloud computing technologies.