Montréal, March 11, 2015 Videotron is pleased to announce that it has acquired 4Degrees Colocation and its data centre, the largest in Québec City. The amount of the transaction is $31.5 million, which could increase to $35.5 million if certain targets are reached. Acquisition of the data centre will give Videotron Business Solutions a significant advantage when it comes to offering bundled services to Québec businesses, which are increasingly interested in digitizing and decentralizing their data servers. 4Degrees is one of the few data centres in Québec to be Tier III certified by the Uptime Institute. Tier III is an international standard that ensures maximum reliability and operational sustainability.
Determined to remain a Canadian telecommunications leader, Videotron is pleased to add the deep expertise of 4Degrees's seasoned team to its capabilities. The acquisition will also enable Videotron to expand the services it offers business customers and meet its customers' growing technological and hosting needs.
Cutting-edge data centre
Built in 2014 in the heart of the Québec Metro High Tech Park, 4Degrees provides businesses and institutions with a sophisticated, secure colocation facility. Designed to minimize the impact on the environment, the centre is equipped with a smart air conditioning system that uses outdoor air to cool its computer equipment. It is located near major highways. The data centre is a secure facility equipped with a high-availability backup system. It has a total capacity of more than 2,000 cabinets and the equivalent of 85,000 servers.
Videotron is very pleased to acquire this promising business, said Manon Brouillette, President and CEO of Videotron. Its expertise will benefit Québec companies, which are looking for hosting services that meet the highest technical and technological standards in the industry. The integration of 4Degrees into our operations is very much in keeping with our vision of making life simpler than ever for our business customers. This investment also enables our teams to more effectively support Québec companies of all sizes seeking integrated business solutions that meet their needs. By linking up with experts in a high-tech field, we are reaffirming our commitment to innovation and to supplying Québec businesses with the technology of their choice.
I am very satisfied with this transaction with Videotron, a thriving, dynamic Québec company that constantly invests in innovation, said outgoing 4Degrees Colocation President Martin Bouchard, who has been ranked as one of Québec's 25 leading IT pioneers. For us, this connection strengthens and enhances our business plan. It is very motivational for our people: being part of a flagship telecommunications provider will serve as a powerful magnet, bringing 4Degrees new customers and bringing economic benefits to the Québec City area.
About 4Degrees Colocation
4Degrees Colocation Inc. (www.4degres.com) is the company behind the largest Internet colocation facility ever built in the Québec City area. This major project was designed to provide businesses and institutions with a sophisticated and high availability Tier III colocation infrastructure and secure e-commerce payment options (PCI DSS) in the heart of Québec City. With an ideal combination of clean hydroelectric power and very cold temperatures, this eastern Canadian region is one of the best places in the world to implement a data centre. 4Degrees takes its name from the average annual temperature in Québec City, 4.6°C. Through the use of colder outdoor air, 4Degrees is able to maintain IT equipment at optimal operating temperatures while generating significant energy savings.
Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of December 31, 2014, Videotron was serving 1,782,300 cable television customers, including 1,561,700 Digital TV subscribers. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,537,500 subscribers to its cable service as of December 31, 2014. As of the same date, Videotron had 632,800 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,349,000 Québec households and organizations. For the ninth consecutive year, Videotron was ranked as Québec's most respected telecommunications company, based on a Léger survey.
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