SpeedCast Acquires Hermes Datacom

Hong Kong, March 16, 2015 – SpeedCast International Limited today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Hermes Datacommunications International Ltd, a provider of managed network services for the upstream oil and gas industry.  

The acquisition will significantly strengthen 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, according to the company.

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..

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.

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