Those of us living and working on the Central Coast have likely heard the news of Digital West acquiring Norcast Telecom Networks.
Perhaps you’ve gotten the impression that it’s an exciting move, which it is, but you feel lost in the techy terms. You know that it involves internet, telephone, fiber and that elusive cloud that stores all of our information – but how will businesses’ lives be any different?
Here’s what you need to know about the acquisition and why so many people are talking about it.
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This combination creates the single largest business infrastructure provider in our region. Digital West now has approximately 60 employees and more than 2,500 customers.
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The acquisition simplifies technology for businesses. Digital West provides connectivity, backup, email, cloud and other core technology services. The merge with Norcast, a telecom company, means that local businesses can now get both their technology and telephone services met by the same provider.
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Teams from both companies will be fully retained. Tim Williams continues to serve as CEO, Sandy Davis as Chief Financial Officer, and Michael Boyer as Chief Operating Officer, and Jeff Buckingham of Norcast has joined as President. No employees were laid off in the process.
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Digital West is bumping up all its current fiber customers to the fastest symmetrical speed available for businesses. That’s 100/100 Mbps, if you speak fiber. Basically, it’s really fast – and while not directly related to the acquisition, it’s a pretty nice perk.
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Tim Williams and Jeff Buckingham have been friends for a very long time. This point might fall more into the “fun facts” category, but Tim started Digital West in 1999 off the recommendation of his good friend Jeff. And look where they are today.