iomart Group plc, one of the UK’s leading provider of cloud computing and managed hosting services, has purchased the Manchester hosting company Melbourne Server Hosting. The acquisition, which was announced to the London Stock Exchange, includes Melbourne’s two data centres and offices on the Manchester Technopark, plus its nearby disaster recovery facility.

Angus MacSween, CEO of iomart Group plc, said: "This is an important acquisition for us as it gives us our first physical data centre presence in the North of England. It increases iomart Group’s network of fully owned and managed UK data centres to seven and puts us firmly at the heart of the growing online and media business hub that Manchester has become" 

Melbourne Server Hosting was founded by entrepreneur Daniel Keighron-Foster while he was studying at university. It specialises in physical server hosting and has 30 employees. The company’s 600 customers include well known businesses such as global consumer goods group PZ Cussons, JJB Sports, satirical news website The Daily Mash as well as many IT companies and design agencies across the North West of England. It was also chosen to host the Jubilee Time Capsule, the digital vault being gifted to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee. 

Daniel Keighron-Foster, CEO of Melbourne Server Hosting, said: "I have spent over 10 years building a successful hosting company which prides itself on the reliable and personal service it gives to customers, which is something that iomart is also passionate about. I believe that Melbourne’s great local reputation and iomart Group’s established status as one of the UK’s leading hosting providers will be a powerful combination and I’m looking forward to this next stage."