16
March, 2015
SpeedCast
International
Limited has
signed a definitive
agreement for the
acquisition of
Hermes
Datacommunications
International Ltd,
(“Hermes
Datacomms”),
a leading global
provider of managed
network services for
the upstream oil and
gas industry.
The acquisition will
create a new global
force providing
communications and
IT services to the
energy sector;
significantly
strengthening
SpeedCast’s
capabilities to
serve and support
energy customers
worldwide, enhancing
its portfolio of
managed solutions,
and bolstering its
global network with
new points of
presence in key
energy markets
around the globe --
including Russia,
Central Asia, South
East Asia, the
Middle East, and
North, West and East
Africa.
Hermes
Datacomms has over
20 years of
experience providing
managed services to
the upstream oil and
gas industry. It
offers service in
over 54 countries,
representing 92% of
the world’s oil &
gas reserves and has
an extensive
portfolio of blue
chip energy
customers. The
company specializes
in providing a broad
range of
communications
services including
satellite
communications,
fibre connectivity
and radio services
for the oil & gas
industry, to some of
the most remote and
challenging
locations in the
world, both onshore
and offshore.
Solutions are
tailored
specifically to oil
& gas customers'
needs and include
international or
domestic
point-to-point
connections, managed
networks, oilfield
communication
infrastructure and
IT services.
Hermes
Datacomms is based
in Shrewsbury,
United Kingdom and
owns a
state-of-the-art
Network Operation
Centre (NOC) as well
as a teleport,
located at their UK
headquarters.
The NOC was designed
from the bottom-up
to give customers
real-time monitoring
and enhanced service
levels, providing
24/7 proactive
monitoring and
support, and rapid
customer response.
With this
acquisition,
SpeedCast is well
positioned to become
a top 3 player in
the energy services
space and serve as a
credible and
reliable alternative
to the existing
incumbents. The
combined entity will
have significantly
enhanced
capabilities to
serve and support
energy customers
worldwide, with an
extended staff
located in the
primary energy
markets around the
world. The
acquisition will
benefit SpeedCast’s
existing global
energy customer
base, as SpeedCast
leverages Hermes
Datacomms’
infrastructure,
local presence and
experience, to
augment its own
global network and
provide a superior
customer experience.
The energy sector
continues to be a
long term area of
growth for satellite
services, and
promises to be an
ongoing source of
growth for SpeedCast
as the company
leverages the
strength and scale
of the new combined
entity to win market
share.
“This game
changing acquisition
opens a new chapter
for our energy
business, greatly
expanding the scale,
scope and
capabilities of our
business,” said
Pierre-Jean Beylier,
CEO of SpeedCast.
“Hermes Datacomms
has amazing
experience servicing
oil & gas customers
in very demanding
locations. It
is an ideal fit for
SpeedCast and a very
important milestone
towards our
objective to be a
leading global
player in the energy
sector, following
previous steps taken
with the recruitment
of Keith Johnson and
the announced
acquisition of
Geolink.
Hermes Datacomms is
a unique asset that
brings us
capabilities and
relationships that
would otherwise be
difficult and long
to acquire.
There are extensive
synergies for the
unified company,
which will further
enhance our ability
to deliver complete
end-to-end solutions
to our customers
globally. SpeedCast
is now strongly
equipped to compete
globally in the oil
& gas sector and
deliver long term
growth.”
“This
acquisition further
validates our
investment and
commitment to build
a significant global
energy service
provider at
SpeedCast. The
new combined
SpeedCast Energy
Division will
provide our global
customers with the
geographic scale and
reach required to
provide exceptional
customer service in
the key countries
where drilling and
production occur,”
said Keith Johnson,
SVP and GM of
SpeedCast Energy
Division.
Joining
SpeedCast, Hermes
Datacomms will now
be able to offer its
customers a wider
portfolio of
products and
services, and better
serve its customers’
needs worldwide.
SpeedCast field
engineering presence
in key oil & gas
markets like
Australia, PNG, and
Indonesia, will
enhance the level of
local support
available to Hermes
Datacomms’
customers.
The combined
capabilities of
SpeedCast and Hermes
Datacomms will
provide
best-in-class
services to their
customers.
Hermes Datacomms’ UK
teleport will
complement
SpeedCast’s existing
global
infrastructure and
network.
“Hermes
Datacomms and
SpeedCast have a
shared vision to be
the leading provider
of communications to
the Energy sector
globally,” said
Giles Middleton, CEO
of Hermes Datacomms.
“With our experience
and reach in the oil
and gas sector and
SpeedCast’s global
network and scale,
this acquisition
will enable a
unified goal to
achieve that vision.
We will leverage our
combined skills,
expertise and global
network to continue
to offer
unprecedented levels
of service and
support to our
customers”.
Hermes Datacomms
management team will
remain with the
SpeedCast group.
This
acquisition follows
the creation in
October 2014 of an
Energy Division
aggregating all of
SpeedCast's energy
business under the
leadership of Keith
Johnson, and the
opening of
SpeedCast’s new
Houston office. The
acquisition also
complements the
announced
acquisition of
Geolink, as it
completes the
strengthening of
SpeedCast’s
capabilities in
Africa.
