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IO, a leading data center services company, has announced plans to separate into two independent companies. IO will continue to deliver its market-leading colocation and cloud services. The new company, BASELAYER, will comprise IO’s visionary modular data center hardware and data center infrastructure management software. The company expects to complete the separation in early 2015.
It was only seven years ago that brothers George and William Slessman and business partner Anthony Wanger launched IO with a mission to transform the data center industry. It was a calculated risk that’s paid off – in more ways than one.
“IO has been on the leading edge of data center technology, launching industry-changing services and products at a rapid clip. Our growth has exceeded our expectations—and given the breadth of our company’s innovations—we have decided to split our product portfolio into two,” said George Slessman, co-founder and chief executive officer at IO.
Today, IO is the second-largest private data center company in the world. The company first revolutionized colocation services in 2007, layering optimized thermal efficiency onto traditional offerings. Shortly after, in 2011, the company invented a patented modular data center with intelligent management and control mechanisms to drive further efficiency and density.
The story intensified in 2012 when IO developed a data center operating system to better manage its data centers as it expanded its footprint globally. IO’s open cloud services marked the next chapter as it offered companies the scale and network needed for a truly future-proof data center environment.
“We have built two strong, but distinct businesses,” George Slessman added. “By separating the two, we create clarity of purpose to accelerate the growth of both companies. This decision introduces two market leaders – each with talent and resources directly focused on their core competencies.”
William Slessman, co-founder and former chief technology officer of IO, will assume the role of chief executive officer at BASELAYER. George Slessman and Anthony Wanger will continue to lead IO in their current roles as chief executive officer and president, respectively. IO will continue to be headquartered in Phoenix.
BASELAYER, to be headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., will leverage the cutting-edge technology and loyal customer base that originated at IO. The company’s data center products enable service providers, enterprises and governments to intelligently provision their data centers. BASELAYER customers can finally bridge the gap between data center operators and IT.
“This strategic decision creates enormous potential for IO and BASELAYER. Both companies will be sharper and more competitive as leading, stand-alone businesses,” William Slessman said. “The separation will allow BASELAYER to help customers realize the full value of their applications and tap into the potential of the Internet of Things.”
