GoDaddy has entered into an agreement to acquire Host Europe Group (HEG) for €1.69 billion (US$1.79 billion) to accelerate its international expansion. GoDaddy beats bids by Deutsche Telekom and German Internet service provider United Internet for HEG.
GoDaddy said it intends to integrate the majority of HEG's business while exploring strategic alternatives for HEG's PlusServer managed hosting business, including a possible sale.
Host Europe Group is one of Europe's largest independent web hosting firms that operates brands such as 123Reg, Domain Factory, Heart Internet and Host Europe. As the largest privately-owned web services provider in Europe, HEG serves small businesses and web experts, and has built a thriving business with more than 1.7 million customers.
GoDaddy said it would explore options for HEG's PlusServer managed hosting business, including a possible sale.
HEG has offices in Germany, the U.K., France, Spain, Romania, and Bulgaria.
GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving
By joining forces with HEG, we accelerate our expansion into Europe with the delivery of a broader range of cloud-based products, built on a single global technology platform, and supported by unparalleled customer care to help small businesses and web designers succeed online.
Patrick Pulvermüller, Group CEO of HEG
What stands out is the strategic alignment of the companies – we're both driven to empower people to transform their ideas and bring them to life online. Together GoDaddy and HEG will provide even more value for our customers and introduce new solutions to help their ventures succeed.
