Significant changes have taken place in the web hosting industry that could affect the future of the UK web services market. Heart Internet, considered one of the UK’s leading web hosting providers, has been acquired by Your.Online, a European platform that connects local hosting companies. The acquisition not only demonstrates Your.Online’s drive to expand in the UK market, but also signals significant changes in the way local hosting services can be offered and developed.
Heart Internet, founded in 2004, has made a name for itself by offering a variety of hosting services, from shared to dedicated server solutions. Over the years, the company has won numerous awards and established itself in the market as a trusted provider among customers. However, after GoDaddy’s acquisition as part of the Host Europe Group, the quality of Heart Internet’s services began to attract mixed reviews. Critics pointed to a decline in service quality and a reduction in offerings, which could weaken the company’s position in the market.
Heart Internet was acquired in 2011 by the Host Europe Group. In 2016, Host Europe Group, which includes Heart Internet, was acquired by GoDaddy, it was one of the largest deals in the European hosting market, definitely strengthening GoDaddy’s position in the UK. Since then, a number of decisions have been made that have been widely criticized by customers (including the abandonment of its own management panel in favor of the cPanel commonly used by the GoDaddy Group).
The acquisition by Your.Online opens a new chapter for Heart Internet. The partnership is presented as a strategic partnership to not only grow Your.Online in the UK market. The acquirer ensures that local hosting services will continue with the needs of British customers in mind. Your.Online, being the result of the combined forces of Gandi.net and Total Webhosting Solutions (TWS), places a high value on innovation, security, and a “no nonsense” culture, which could bring a fresh perspective to Heart Internet’s business practices.
However, for Heart Internet’s customers, the key question is how the acquisition will affect the quality and scope of services offered. Currently, both Your.Online and Heart Internet emphasize that their main goal is to increase customer satisfaction and maintain close ties with their local customer base. This means potential improvements in areas that have previously been criticized, such as customer service and innovation of offerings.
The acquisition also signals greater consolidation in the European hosting market. The deal is all the more interesting because the seller of the brand is the world’s largest hosting company, which itself has made numerous acquisitions in the past.
At a recent Investor Day in March, GoDaddy reiterated its strategy of rationalizing its hosting and security business with the goal of focusing investment on GoDaddy’s integrated software platform. Whatever that means.