Freedom4 Communications

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FREEDOM4 Communications
Type Public limited company
Founded 1991
Headquarters London, England, UK
Key people Peter Dubens Chairman, Mike Read CEO, Stewart Porter CFO
Industry Internet Service Provider
Products Broadband services
Revenue £ 133,000,000 GBP (2006)
Employees 574
Website [1]

FREEDOM4 Communications plc (formerly known as Pipex Communications plc) is a British company that sells Internet and telecommunications services, including hosting, broadband Internet connections, and VOIP.

Contents

[edit] Business areas

The company is divided into different business areas: a residential division handling voice and broadband services (now owned by Tiscali); Vialtus (formerly Pipex Business), aimed at small and medium sized businesses; Freedom4 (formerly Pipex Wireless), which provides wireless broadband services using WiMAX; and a hosting division, which includes brands donhost, Supanames, HostEurope, 123-reg, WebFusion and Magic Moments.

[edit] Company history

In October 2003 PIPEX was purchased by GX Networks plc, for £55 million. GX Networks plc renamed itself to Pipex Communications plc to preserve the brand.

On 13 September 2007 the Company completed the Broadband Disposal. As part of that sale, Tiscali UK Limited acquired the Company’s trade marks in the name "Pipex" and granted the Company a licence to allow the Company to continue to use the name "Pipex" for certain purposes until the expiry of the licence on 13 March 2008. Accordingly, the Company intends to change its name to "FREEDOM4 Communications plc" prior to expiry of the licence and is therefore proposing the Change of Name Resolution. The names of trading entities of the Group will be reviewed accordingly.

[edit] Timeline

  • 2003 October - PIPEX acquired by GX Networks plc, retains Pipex name, calling itself PIPEX Communications plc. [1] [2]
  • 2003 November - Firstnet Services Limited changes it's name to PIPEX Communications Business Solutions Limited. [3]
  • 2003 December - The Company transferred PIPEX Networks Limited (at that time PIPEX Internet Limited) to

PIPEX Internet Limited (at that time Zipcom Telecommunications Limited)

  • 2004 January - PIPEX Internet Limited changes its name to PIPEX Networks Limited.
  • 2004 January - Zipcom Telecommunications Limited changes its name to PIPEX Internet Limited.

Note: At this point "The company" directly holds: PIPEX Internet Limited, Transigent Limited and Firstnet Services Limited.

  • 2004 April - AIM Listed Host Europe Plc (Magic-Moments, WebFusion, Dedicated Servers and 123-reg) is acquired by Pipex. [4]
  • 2004 August - Nildram is acquired by Pipex. [5]
  • 2005 April - Donhost is acquired by Pipex. [6]
  • 2005 October - freedom2surf is acquired by Pipex. [7]
  • 2006 March - Pipex buys Caudwell Communications UK Limited (trading as Homecall, now rebranded to Pipex Homecall) including "Switch2" [8]
  • 2006 August - Pipex buys Supanetwork Limited (trading as Supanames) for £2.1 million in cash [9]
  • 2006 September - Pipex buys Toucan [10]
  • 2006 September - Pipex buys the customer base of Bulldog Broadband [11]
  • 2007 March - Pipex appoints UBS to investigate its strategic options, which could include a sale of the Company. [12] [13]
  • 2007 July - Tiscali announces it will acquire the Pipex Broadband and Voice division for £210 million [14] [15]
  • 2007 September - Tiscali completes acquisition of all consumer broadband and voice businesses from Pipex. [16]

Note: The Pipex Broadband and Voice division contains the following subsidiaries: Pipex Internet Limited, Pipex Homecall Limited, Toucan Residential Limited, Toucan Residential Ireland Limited, Switch2 Telecoms Limited, Bulldog Broadband, Freedom to Surf Limited, Freedom to Surf Registration Services Limited, Freedom to Surf Consumer Services Limited, AccentUK Limited, Nildram Limited, Trinite Limited, Trinite Services Limited, Pipex Broadband Limited, HighwayOne Limited, Pipex Networks Limited, Pipex Communications Services Limited, GX Networks Twelve Limited, Homecall (UK) Limited and Homecall Payment Services Limited.

  • 2007 September - The Pipex internet brand now exists as Pipex Internet Limited, a Tiscali UK company.
  • 2007 September - Pipex seeks buyer for remaining assets. [17]

Note: Remaining assets include Freedom4 (previous Pipex Wireless), Pipex Business, donhost, Gokei, Host Europe, WebFusion, and 123-reg.

  • 2007 October - Tiscali/Pipex Job losses. [18]
  • 2008 February - Pipex Business rebrands as Vialtus. [19]
  • 2008 March - Pipex Communications plc is now known as FREEDOM4 Communications plc [20]
  • 2008 March - Due to Pipex Broadband being sold to Tiscali last year, the company known as Pipex Communications Ltd is now known as GX Networks Ltd. [21]

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ GX buys Pipex - theregister.co.uk 2003-10-03
  2. ^ Home Page
  3. ^ Home Page
  4. ^ Pipex buys Host Europe - theregister.co.uk 2004-04-02
  5. ^ Pipex buys Nildram - theregister.co.uk 2004-08-09
  6. ^ Pipex buys Donhost - theregister.co.uk 2005-04-28
  7. ^ Pipex buys Freedom2Surf - theregister.co.uk 2005-10-18
  8. ^ Pipex buys Homecall - theregister.co.uk 2006-03-23
  9. ^ Pipex buys Supanetwork Limited (Supanames.co.uk) for £2.1 Million
  10. ^ Pipex buys Toucan
  11. ^ Pipex buys Bulldog - www.bulldoglounge.com 2006-07-09
  12. ^ Pipex puts itself up for sale - Times Online
  13. ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/12/pipex_for_sale/
  14. ^ Tiscali to acquire Pipex broadband and voice division for GBP 210 million with new financing package - tiscali.com 2007-07-13
  15. ^ The Office of Fair Trading: Anticipated acquisition by Tiscali UK Holdings Limited of the Broadband and Voice Division of Pipex Communications plc
  16. ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/13/tiscali_buys_pipex/
  17. ^ Pipex seeks buyer for remaining assets after £8.5m interim loss - Business News, Business - Independent.co.uk
  18. ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/30/tiscali_pipex_redundancies/
  19. ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/01/pipex_business_rebranding/
  20. ^ Market News
  21. ^ Pipex renamed GX Networks