EarthLink, Inc. has signed an agreement to purchase the IT Solution Center and hosted application business from Synergy Global Solutions, a provider of hosted IT products, services and solutions based in Western, NY. This acquisition will provide EarthLink with scalable 24/7/365 IT service support capabilities to allow customers to outsource critical IT services in a cost efficient manner. The IT Solution Center is comprised of a Help Desk, Network Operations Center and remote care platform that provide SAS-70 certified services, tiered network support and monitoring, remote technical management and support across a wide range of networking and operating system platforms. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Under the terms of this agreement, EarthLink will also assume relationships with approximately 120 Value Added Resellers (VARs) that currently sell the Solution Center and hosted application services. EarthLink plans to leverage this distribution channel to offer those VARs additional EarthLink Cloud and communications solutions. Additionally, EarthLink plans to extend the IT Solution Center services to its base of over 100,000 business customers and through its existing sales channels.  

In addition to the Solution Center, EarthLink is acquiring Synergy's cloud-based application service, which provides end-to-end hosted IT capabilities for the environmental services vertical market. This service already utilizes the EarthLink Cloud framework for hosting its cloud-based application service and features SuccessWare21 software.

Clark Crook, Synergy president, will join EarthLink as vice president of Solution Center Services, and will report to Brian Fink, EarthLink executive vice president of managed services. Crook will also be responsible for managing EarthLink's Solutions Center and deploying these capabilities throughout the company's distribution channels. The Solutions Center, located in Buffalo, NY, is staffed by more than 80 support specialists and engineers who will also join the EarthLink team.

"The addition of the IT Solution Center fills a key strategic capability for scaled IT support for our growing Managed Services portfolio," explained Fink. "This skilled team, with years of expertise in IT support services, will enable us to quickly provide these services in combination with our cloud, security and connectivity solutions to our customers. In addition, the SuccessWare application is already part of EarthLink Cloud and will be leveraged to expand our application cloud framework."

Following the close of the transaction, Synergy's remaining Value Added Reseller business will continue to distribute the IT Solution Center services and the SuccessWare application as an EarthLink customer.

Ray Hutch, founder and CEO of Synergy Global Solutions commented, "The Solutions Center and SuccessWare products have long been key elements in meeting customers' IT needs. With EarthLink's deep resources and strategic vision for growth, the Solution Center's competency in providing leading edge technical help desk services can be expanded nationwide. In partnership with EarthLink, Synergy will continue to offer these best-in-class services to our Western New York State clients."