Persona developed Amer.com website launched in honor of the merger of Amer.com and freedom9 Inc.Amer.com Acquires freedom9 Inc. As First Step in Growth Plans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Two trend-setting companies, both niche leaders, announced a friendly acquisition merger today. Amer.com’s CEO Wai Lee announced the acquisition of freedom9.
“As part of our growth initiative, we are acquiring various companies that compliment our leadership position in direct-from-manufacturer network products sales,” said Mr. Lee. “Our first acquisition target was obvious. With the growing importance of E-mail Archiving and E-Discovery law, freedom9 was our number one target.”
Amer.com is a leader in direct-to-schools and institutions with over 6000 accounts in the United States. Wai Lee, who heads up Amer.com was a major industry name in networking after his success launching D-Link in Canada and growing it to a major brand force. “The time was right to acquire freedom9," said Mr. Lee. "We’ve sold their products for years, and remained impressed with their leadership in network security. But freedom9 Inc is only the first of many planned acquisitions and product lines.”
Although Mr. Lee was a shareholder in freedom9 Inc from the beginning, the younger company is headed by CEO Scott Barrett, a well-known leader in network products, who also helped grow D-Link in Canada. “I’ve known Wai for many years,” said Mr. Barrett. “Wai and I brought D-Link into Canada and helped make it a major force. Later, we both invested in two companies that are on course to dominate their niches—Amer.com in networks, and freedom9 in security and E-mail Archiving and Internet Recording.”
Combined Mission
“Our combined mission is connectivity,” said Mr. Lee, CEO of Amer.com. “Technology is really all about connecting people, businesses, and institutions. A computer is nothing if it’s not connected to the internet and other computers. With the growth of security issues and liabilities for companies and institutions, E-mail Archiving is a vital growth area for Amer.com.”
Amer.com, founded twelve years ago, grew rapidly to preeminence in America for State Education contracts in network products. The company mission includes acquisitions of companies, resources and new technologies related to connectivity that will help grow their dominance in the broader connectivity industry. Mr. Lee indicated Amer.com plans to bring in exclusive and branded lines of connectivity products and peripherals to service their existing and new accounts in the United States.
New Acquisitions
Other important company acquisitions and product line additions will include storage products, security products, wireless, printers, supplies, even important accessories and cables—anything related to networking, security and connectivity.
“Increased product choices, complete network and security solutions and ongoing support of our growing client base are important to our strategy,” said freedom9‘s CEO Mr. Barrett. “And freedom9 Inc made sense for Amer.com. While Amer.com is big in the education market in America, especially in direct-from-manufacturer, freedom9 has major momentum for network security solutions in multiple verticals in all three key North American markets.”
Co-CEOs and Acquisition
As part of the acquisition agreement, Wai Lee and Scott Barrett will be Co-CEOs of the new combined company. “freedom9 will remain as a brand within security and E-Mail Archiving,” said Co-CEO Mr. Barrett. “But Amer.com will service our combined clients plus new markets such as healthcare, automotive, and aeronautic, with a special focus on small to mid-sized corporations.”
Mr. Barrett also pointed out that the loyal teams of both companies will be merged into dynamic groups in their areas of expertise, offering more support and service to clients and faster growth. “The shared resources of these two companies is significant in both the United States and Canada. And we will be watching for other growing companies we can acquire or partner with to add capabilities our clients seek.”
New Marketing and Interactive Web Initiatives
As part of the ambitious growth plans, new websites for both www.amer.com and www.freedom9.com were launched to coincide with the first acquisition. New product lines and announcements will be made regularly. Interactive initiatives including blog-marketing, podcasting and social marketing will play a major role.
Marketing of the combined companies will be headed up by Derek Armstrong, known as the inventor of Image Marketing, author of popular book The Persona Principle and co-creator of Blogertize. Mr. Armstrong was described by Profit magazine as “a savvy marketing leader who brings the science.”
Emerging Vendor of the Year
Under Mr. Barrett’s leadership, freedom9 was named “Emerging Vendor of the Year in 2007 by Computer Reseller News. The company was one of the first to recognize the vital importance of E-Mail Archiving and Internet Recording. “E-Discovery law and new regulations make it virtually mandatory now,” said Mr. Barrett, pointing to a number of case studies on their website at www.freedom9.com. “It’s critical to any company to deploy an Internet Recording solution.”
“I’m delighted to be working so closely with Mr. Barrett again,” said Wai Lee. “Time and again he has proven his insight in finding new opportunities and technologies.”
Wai Lee and Scott Barrett brought D-Link into Canada, with Wai as CEO and Scott Barrett as Vice President of Sales. Toron Lee, with Amer.com, also worked to grow D-Link in Operations and Marketing.
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