HostReview.com Web Hosting Interviews

An Interview with
Jack Finlayson, Chief Executive Officer of Layered Technologies,

April 15, 2008

Yesterday's acquisition of FastServers.net by Layered Technologies (LT) prompted HostReview to contact Mr. Jack Finlayson, LT's CEO, and ask him a few question about the merger.

Please tell us a few words about Layered Technologies and your position in the company.

LT is an exciting mid-sized hosting company with a goal of becoming a leading worldwide provider of on-demand IT infrastructure supporting critical customer applications. We’ve assembled a seasoned team of experienced executives and are moving aggressively to expand our product and service options.  I’m happy to serve as Chief Executive Officer.

What events and considerations lead to the acquisition of FastServers.net by Layered Technologies?

As a part of our normal business practices, Layered Technologies is always keeping an eye out for client, partner and even acquisition prospects.  After opening a dialog with FastServers.net both companies leadership teams felt there was a natural fit.  The culture of innovation and customer service was a match, there was very little client or product overlap, and we all felt that the combination of the two companies would be quite complimentary.

Will existing clients notice any changes in the service they receive?

Clients of both companies will continue to receive the excellent service that we have traditionally rendered.  However, in the coming months and weeks we’ll work to make additional products and services available to everyone, and we’ll also be looking to cross-train our customer-facing teams so that we can provide even higher levels of customer service than before.

The press release issued by the company informs us that "the acquisition will combine the expertise of FastServers.net in managed dedicated hosting with Layered Technologies' leading Grid and unmanaged offerings." Does this mean that the two teams will continue to work on their traditional offerings, or do you think synergies will lead to a new kind of product?

Certainly the combination of our product lines, and the very capable technical staffs on both sides, will render a number of enhancements to the existing offerings.  But we’re not going to stop there.  Layered Technologies and FastServers have a number of new initiatives in the labs which we’ll be looking to bring to market very soon and you’ll hear more about these in the coming months.

What should we expect of Layered Technologies in the coming months?

In the near future you can expect to see Layered Technologies focus on completing the integration of these two companies.  Our customers and employees are our most important assets, and we intend to ensure that we bring them all together in the most productive manner possible.  After that, we’ll continue to aggressively pursue our growth strategy and hopefully be able to keep surprising everyone with our focus, tenacity and conviction.

What new technologies and practices will drive the further growth of the hosting industry?

Virtualization in the hosting market is absolutely key.   We feel Layered Technologies has a significant lead with regards to these technologies and we will continue to invest in product and technological leadership which empowers our clients.

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