[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Newer local ISP Asia Online has
set out on a campaign to expand its Web design portfolio, acquiring
Victorian Web services company Diezel Interactive and its sister firm Dzign
VC.
Diezel has built its business in developing services for national and
regional businesses, with clients such as shoe manufacturer Diana Ferrari
and the Greater City of Geelong. Asia Online will complement this newly
acquired capability with Dzign’s focus on corporate identity and design,
through clients such as Hewlett-Packard.
The acquisition will form part of Asia Online’s push to become a
complete Internet solutions provider, and be recognized as more than an
ISP. “The deal means we are able to greatly increase our Web development
portfolio and offer a complete solution for SMEs, from creative development
and planning, to hardware and hosting,” said Asia Online president and
chief executive officer Kevin Randolph.
The company has already invested locally in radio and other advertising
to promote these SME site hosting facilities, which will now become the
starting point for such complete services.
Randolph said that the knowledge capital gained from this local
investment will be exported virtually through Asia Online’s high-speed Asia
-Pacific data network, to benefit its operations in Hong Kong, the
Philippines, Malaysia, India, the U.S. and Canada.
Diezel and Dzign managing director Jonathan Roberts said that the
companies have already been approached by other potential investors, but
agreed to Asia Online’s acquisition as it “will give us the security of
being part of a multinational company while providing us with the
flexibility that we need to keep ahead of the game.”
Asia Online will incorporate into its offering Diezel’s portfolio of Web
services that include site development and design, intranet and extranet
application development, e-commerce solutions and strategic consulting.
Dzign and Diezel will both become Asia Online companies, and will be
headquartered in Geelong in Victoria.
Randolph said that this acquisition will be joined by others during this
and next year, as Asia Online seeks to provide an end-to-end offering.