| Type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Nelson, Lancashire, England, UK |
| Key people | Peter Dubens Chairman, Matthew Riley CEO, Anthony Riley CFO |
| Products | Business Broadband |
| Website | daisygroupplc.com |
Daisy Group plc (formerly known as Freedom4 Group plc and Pipex Communications plc) is a British company that sells Internet and telecommunications services, including hosting, broadband Internet connections, and VOIP.
The company traces back to the October 2003 acquisition of Pipex by GX Networks, to create Pipex Communications plc.[1] The following month Firstnet Services changed its name to PIPEX Communications Business Solutions.[2]
Pipex purchased AIM Listed Host Europe plc in April 2004.[3]
Pipex acquired the business communications provider Nildram in August 2004.[4]
In 2005 the company purchased Donhost[5] and freedom2surf.[6]
John Caudwell sold Caudwell Communications UK Limited which traded as Homecall in March 2006. Homecall then began trading as Pipex Homecall.[7]
In 2006 Pipex bought Supanetwork for £2.1 million in cash.[8] This was followed by Toucan,[9] and the customer base of Bulldog Broadband [10]
In March 2007 the company appointed UBS to consider its strategic options, in regards to a possible sale of the company.[11] Tiscali UK announced in July that year that it would purchase the Pipex voice and broadband division for £210 million [12][13] The sale completed in September.[14] The remaining assets not sold to Tiscali UK were put up for sale at the same time.[15]
The remaining Pipex assets were renamed as Freedom4 Communications plc in March 2008.[16] Freedom4 bought UK based WiFi roaming services provider BOZII and renamed the service FREEDOM4 WiFi.[17] Freedom4 renamed itself Freedom4 Group in August 2008.[18]
In July 2009 FREEDOM4 bought Daisy Communications (founded in 2001 in Nelson, Lancashire[19]) in a reverse takeover. The two companies came together with Vialtus to become Daisy Group plc.[20]
In Feb 2010 Daisy Group bought the entire issued share capital of Managed Communications, a provider of data networks, for a potential initial cash consideration of £6.3m.[21]
In Feb 2010 Daisy Group sold the entire issued share capital of FREEDOM4 WiFi, a provider of unified WiFi and 3G services, to the management.[22]
In June 2010 Daisy Group bought the entire issued share capital of murphx Innovative Solutions Limited, a wholesale connectivity and hosting carrier that was voted ISP of the Year in the Comms Business Awards 2009 for an initial cash consideration of £4.8m.[23]
In December 2010 Daisy Group bought controversial NHS GP phone system provider Network Europe Group (NEG) for £23.5m [24] [25].
In 2011, Daisy Group acquired O-bit Telecom, which is operating independently under the group. [26]