Vocus Group

Vocus Group Limited, formerly known as Vocus Communications, is an international telecommunications company headquartered in North Sydney, Australia. Founded by James Spenceley[1] as a wholesale, business, government and consumer telecommunications provider, Vocus owns and manages Australia's second largest intercapital fibre network. Vocus provides retail, wholesale and corporate telecommunications services across Australia and New Zealand.[2] Vocus offers data network services such as Internet, dark fibre, IP WAN, unified communications and telephony and cloud services[3] to mid, large and corporate businesses direct and also acts as a wholesaler.[4] The company owns and operates 18 data centres across Australia and New Zealand and has an onshore network operations centre run by the engineers who built the network.[5]

For the software company, see Vocus (software).

Vocus Group Limited
TypePublic
ASX: VOC (since 2 July 2010)
ISINAU000000VOC6
IndustryDiversified Telecommunication Services
Founded2008 by James Spenceley
Headquarters
North Sydney
,
Australia
Area served
Key people
Products
Brands
Divisions
  • Wholesale & International
  • Enterprise & Government
  • Retail
  • New Zealand
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.vocus.com.au

Vocus acquired Perth-based Amcom in 2015. Vocus merged with M2 Group on 22 February 2016 in a merger worth AU$3.75 billion,[6] before which it reported profits of AU$62.25M.[7] The merger made it Australia's fourth largest telecommunications company, with 471,000 subscribers.[8]

The company acquired Nextgen Networks for $861 million[9] in October 2016. This allows Vocus access to the National Broadband Network backhaul and infrastructure in Northern Australia serving the offshore gas projects.[9]

History

Vocus was founded by entrepreneur James Spenceley[10] in March 2008.[11] In 2013, Spenceley came in at No 81 on the BRW's Young Rich list after the business raised its annual revenue to $67 million.[12] 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.[13]

Amcom was founded in 1988[14] by Andrew Mclean to provide cabling services to CBD-based corporations and institutions in Perth. Amcom acquired a telecommunications carrier licence in 1998[15] and began building a fibre optic network. In 2009 Amcom won the Best Telecommunications Company of the Year 2009 - Australian Telecommunications Magazine.[16]

In December 2014, the board of Amcom approved the acquisition of the group by Vocus for AU$653 million.[17] In April 2015, rival TPG Telecom increased its shareholder stake in Amcom to 18.6 per cent in an attempt to block the merger.[18] TPG eventually built its stake to 19.9 per cent of Amcom.[19] 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.[19] On June 29, 2015, CEO Clive Stein resigned after a 16-year career with the company to make way for incoming Vocus CEO Spenceley to take over the combined group.[20]

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

In February 2018 CEO Geoff Horth left the company. In March 2018 M2 Group Founding MD and CEO Vaughan Bowen stepped away from the role of Non-Executive Chairman of the Vocus Board to increase Board independence, and former Telstra Chairman and founding CEO of Optus, Robert Mansfield AO was made Chairman.[21] Michael Simmons became Interim CEO until the appointment of Kevin Russell on 28 May 2018.

In April 2018, Vocus announced it had decided not to sell off the NZ portion of the business as an acceptable offer had not been received.

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.[22] In 2014 it also acquired Bentley data centre in Perth from IT provider ASG for $11.7m.[23] The same year, it acquired FX Networks,[24] a New Zealand-based fibre provider which services many of New Zealand's major organisations including many government agencies, telco carriers, ISPs and enterprises.[25] In 2015, it acquired Enterprise Data Corporation, including two Sydney and Melbourne based data centres for $23.5 million.[26][27] In 2015, Vocus acquired a 10% stake in the SEA-ME-WE 3 Cable from Telecom NZ,[28] increasing the company's investment in Western Australia.[29]

  • Vocus Communications
    • 2016-12-01 Switch Utilities, NZ$6 million up front, and a provisionally deferred amount of NZ$5.18 million [30]
    • 2016-10-26 Nextgen Networks, North-West Cable System and ASC, A$830 million [30]
    • 2016-02-22 M2 Group, A$2.26 billion [30]
    • 2015-08-07 Amcom, A$687 million [31]
    • 2015-04-01 Enterprise Data Corporation A$23.5 million [32]
    • 2014-08-13 Bentley Data Centre A$11.7 million [32]
    • 2014-07-13 FX Networks, A$109 million [32]
    • 2014-05-07 iBOSS International and One Telecom, A$147 thousand [33]
    • 2013-01-18 Ipera Communications, A$1.08 million [33]
    • 2012-06-19 Maxnet and DataLock, A$6.14 million [34]
    • 2011-05-06 Digital River Networks, A$3.95 million [35]
    • 2011-05-02 Perth International Exchange, A$7.2 million [35]
    • 2010-11-12, E3 Networks (Sydney and Melbourne), A$5.92 million [35]

Amcom acquisitions
Amcom
ASX: AMM (until 9 July 2015)
ISINAU000000AMM3
Founded1988 (1988) in Perth
ParentVocus Communications

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.[36] In April 2007 Amcom Telecommunications completed the A$6.25 million acquisition of People Telecom's Perth-based corporate services business.[37] 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.[38] 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.[39] The $5.3 million acquisition was completed in May 2010.[40] Amcom bought out L7 Solutions Pty Ltd in 2012 for A$15 million.[41] This allowed Amcom to expand its footprint in IT integration, managed services and consulting and additional of about 200 clients.[41] Amcom acquired aCure Technology on 22 August 2013 for $14.3 million[42]

    • 2014-11-21 Megaport, A$6.54 million [43]
    • 2013-09-26 aCure Technology, A$13.2 million [44]
    • 2013-07-25 Global Networks AMC Data Centre, A$22.4 million [44]
    • 2011-11-22 L7 Solutions, A$15 million [45]
    • 2010-05-24 IP Systems, A$21.8 million [46]
    • 2007-04-03 People Telecom, A$6.62 million [47]
    • 2005-09-16 Arachnet, A$1.68 million [47]
    • 2005-09-16 Swiftweb/Boldweb, A$177 thousand [47]
    • 2005-09-16 ADSL Perth Broadband Internet, A$15 thousand [47]
    • 2003-10-01 Amnet Internet Services, Amnet IT Services, Amnet IX and Ezsoftwrite A$2.14 million [48]

Brands

Wholesale and international
  • Vocus

Business, enterprise and government - Australia

Consumer - Australia

Consumer - New Zealand

Enterprise and wholesale - New Zealand
  • 2Talk
  • Vocus

References
  1. "VOC.AU Company Profile & Executives - Vocus Group Ltd. - Wall Street Journal". quotes.wsj.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. "Vocus and Amcom create largest trans-Tasman network infrastructure provider". ARN. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  3. "Vocus-Amcom deal bears fruit".
  4. Dinham, Peter (5 April 2016). "Vocus launches NBN Connect for partners". iTWire. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  5. "Vocus expands Auckland data centre operation". iTnews. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  6. Stewart, Robb M. "Vocus, M2 Group Plan Merger", Wall Street Journal, 27 September 2015. Accessed 3 February 2016.
  7. "Vocus delivers hefty dividends". News. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  8. "Vocus, M2 profits rise in final months before merger". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  9. Crozier, Ry (4 July 2016). "The juiciest opportunities from Vocus' $861m Nextgen buy". iTnews. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  10. "Vocus, M2 profits rise in final months before merger". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  11. http://www.vocus.com.au/our-story
  12. KEEBLE, TIM. "Hawks mean business: new owner James Spenceley". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  13. "James Spenceley's next big challenge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  14. "amcom- ABOUT - Investors - Board of Directors". Retrieved 13 September 2007.
  15. "WA Industrial Review - March 2007". Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2007.
  16. "Australian Telecom Awards 2009". Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  17. "Vocus-Amcom deal seen as positive". Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  18. "TPG confirms Amcom blocking stake". Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  19. "Amcom shareholders rise up to beat David Teoh's TPG". Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  20. "Amcom CEO resigns". Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  21. (PDF) https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20180306/pdf/43s65gjxmrw9fp.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. "ASG Group to sell data centre for $11.7m". Computerworld. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  23. "Vocus spends $11.7m to buy ASG's Perth data centre". iTnews. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  24. "Telecoms provider Vocus buys NZ fibre optic networks company FX Networks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  25. "Vocus / FX: What you need to know..." New Zealand Reseller News. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  26. "Vocus Communications to buy EDC data centres for $23.5 million". Computerworld. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  27. "Vocus splashes $23.5m on two data centres". iTnews. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  28. "Vocus buys submarine cable capacity from Telecom NZ". Computerworld. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  29. "Vocus buys Sea-Me-We 3 undersea cable between Perth and Singapore". ARN. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  30. Vocus Group. "Half Year FY17, Note 22. Business combinations" (PDF). p. 32.
  31. Vocus Group. "FY16 Results Statutory Accounts, Note 40. Business combinations" (PDF). p. 90.
  32. Vocus Group. "FY15 Statutory Accounts, Note 35. Business combinations" (PDF). p. 64.
  33. Vocus Group. "FY14 Annual Report, Note 39. Business combinations" (PDF). p. 62.
  34. Vocus Group. "FY13 Annual Report, Note 38. Business combinations" (PDF). p. 78.
  35. Vocus Group. "FY12 Annual Report, Note 40. Business combinations" (PDF). p. 37.
  36. "Amcom snaps up Arachnet for $1.6m". Retrieved 14 September 2007.
  37. "People Telecom Ltd - BuddeComm". Archived from the original on 22 September 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2007.
  38. "Amcom nabs People Telecom's Perth fibre". Retrieved 14 September 2007.
  39. "iTWire - Amcom moves into enterprise telephony, buys IP Systems". Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  40. "Amcom closes $5.3m IP Systems buy". Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  41. "L7 Solutions now Amcom". www.amcom.com.au. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  42. "Amcom acquires Perth Data Centres" (PDF).
  43. Amcom. "Half Year Results FY15, 7.Acquisition of Controlled Entity" (PDF). p. 21.
  44. Amcom. "FY14 Results, 25.Acquisition of Controlled Entity" (PDF). p. 53.
  45. Amcom. "FY12 Results, 8.Acquisition of Controlled Entity" (PDF). p. 15.
  46. Amcom. "FY10 Annual Report, 29.Business Combinations" (PDF). p. 86.
  47. Amcom. "FY10 Annual Report, 31.Acquisition of Businesses" (PDF). p. 71.
  48. Amcom. "FY03 Annual Report, 30.Acquisition of Businesses" (PDF). p. 53.
  49. "Vocus buys Stuff Fibre". Vocus. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
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