In a move to further
strengthen its position in the information technology
sector, leading Internet Service Provider (ISP), InfoChannel,
has announced the acquisition of COLIS, one of the oldest
ISP providers in Jamaica, for an undisclosed sum.
COLIS marks the
third acquisition for the company since it secured World
Telenet International in June 2001 and Jamaica On-Line
Information Services Ltd. (JOL) whose Internet business
was acquired in September of that year.
In making the announcement,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of InfoChannel,
Patrick Terrelonge said that the company is "meeting
its targets for expansion in the very competitive ISP
market as outlined in our business plan". He added
that "with this acquisition we are not only expanding
our operations but increasing our efficiency and effectiveness
as we continue to provide service here in Jamaica, the
wider Caribbean and later to Jamaicans in the USA, Canada
and the United Kingdom." He said, "this also
allows us to expand our subscriber base and to position
ourselves to provide a wider range of services upon
full deregulation of the information technology sector."
Mr. Terrelonge indicated
that that while essentially, the "terms of service
to existing COLIS customers will continue unchanged"
subscribers will benefit from InfoChannel's cost effective,
island-wide service; its recently upgraded network,
as well as access to the new "high speed broadband
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) product"
that was introduced in Jamaica last year, as well as
other Internet access features that only InfoChannel
subscribers now enjoy.
According to the
Infochannel Chairman, with ADSL, former COLIS customers
will benefit from the availability of a service that
"is faster and more competitively priced than any
other on the market".
COLIS was formed
in 1996, a year after InfoChannel had established itself
as the first company in the Caribbean to offer a commercial
internet service. COLIS, like InfoChannel, also developed
a reputation for innovativeness and "breaking new
ground" in the local information technology sector.
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