March 5, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Australian Business Software provider MYOB (http://myob.com/) has bought web host Ilisys Pty Ltd. (http://www.ilisys.com.au/), it was reported recently. Terms for the deal have not been announced. The purchase has caused considerable speculation as there does not appear to be a solid fit between the two companies’ activities, beyond the fact that they both target small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
MYOB provides accounting and small business software tools and others services to markets including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the US. Ilisys is a carbon neutral web host offering a range of products including shared and .NET web hosting, email hosting, domain name registration, and reseller options.
MYOB’s purchase has generated little attention and was not even mentioned on the company’s website. Whether MYOB intends to enter the web hosting market and become a contender is unclear. The purchase may have been simply to acquire Ilisys customers and offer them MYOB’s traditional software services. Alternative theories look to the possibility of MYOB using its purchase to develop online ‘cloud’ services, or Software-as-a-Service offerings, and offer its software online ala Microsoft Office Live Small Business.
