Nextra Acquires German Business ISP IVM

Nextra acquires German business ISP IVM

Oslo/Bonn: Nextra, one of Europes fastest growing business related communications service providers, announced today that it has acquired IVM, an Internet service provider based in Bonn. IVM is the second German ISP purchased by Nextra this month, and the fourth acquired by the company since November 1999.

"The IVM acquisition strengthens Nextras position in the North Rhine-Westfalia region, Germanys largest federal state and a powerful industrial area," says Morten Lundal, CEO of the Nextra Group, a fully ofamily of German Business ISPs." IVM was established in 1996 and currently has 15 employees. Based in the former capital city of Bonn, home to telecom giant Deutsche Telekom, IVM serves many customers throughout Germany, including companies based in Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt.

wned Telenor company. "IVM is a dynamic, well-managed company with a broad customer base, and we welcome them into the Nextra IVM combines an excellent reputation for customer service, expertise in voice-over IP, xDSL, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and has built up an extensive network of partners, including web-agencies, system integrators, and consultants. Their customers include Germanys Chamber of Commerce, Hays Logistics, and Radio RPR.

"We were seeking a strong partner with an international focus," says Torsten Krümmel, IVMs marketing director, "And Nextras decentralised structure appealed to us." Executives at IVM expect the German ISP market will continue to grow, especially in the voice over IP and broadband service sectors. According to Krümmel, demand for value added services, and the further development of their core leased-line operations, will result in a 75 percent revenue increase for IVM this year. The company, which will be linked to Nextras Internet-only network Nextbone, is currently in the process of opening a new office in Düsseldorf.

With the recent purchases of German Business ISPs Seicom, e.comp and OMNILINK, Nextra has rapidly positioned itself as a player in the German market. "Germany is an important component in our overall European strategy," Lundal says.

Telenor Group is one of the world's major mobile operators. We keep our customers connected in our markets across Scandinavia and Asia. Our more than 30,000 employees are committed to responsible business conduct and being our customers' favourite partner in digital life. Connecting the world has been Telenor's domain for more than 160 years, and we are driven by a singular vision: to empower societies.