After St. Joseph tech firm acquisition, Online Tech expands to KC
April 20, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Ann Arbor-based Online Tech has acquired a St. Joseph, Mo. cloud firm, paving the way for its expansion into Kansas City.
The cloud security company announced Thursday that it purchased St. Joseph-based Echo Cloud, which provides colocation and cloud hosting services.
Echo Cloud CEO Bill Severn said he’s pleased to be joining the Online Tech team.
“I believe the values we hold match Online Tech’s very well, and I think this will be a great partnership moving forward,” Severn said in a release. “Online Tech has been a leader in compliance for many years,I’m pleased we can now offer HIPAA- or PCI-compliant data hosting to our existing customers here in Kansas City.”
Allowing for easier service management, Severn added that the companies will combine their existing services into Online Tech’s client platform. Wanting to tap the Kansas City market, Online Tech was interested in Echo Cloud for its ability to grow in the Midwest.
With offices in Michigan and Indiana, CEO of Online Tech CEO Yan Ness is excited to expand the firm’s product line.
“I’m very pleased with this deal,” Ness said in a release. “We really like the Kansas City market. There’s lots of demand that we think is underserved, and this is a great opportunity to provide companies in the area with our secure, compliant hybrid IT services.”
Severn, who declined to disclose the amount of the acquisition, will no longer serve as CEO for Echo Cloud, but will stay on the board of directors for Online Tech. The firm will maintain its offices in St. Joseph, Mo.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Attention passengers: Prepare to fill your carry ons with local goods when KC’s new terminal opens
Local businesses are a significant part of Kansas City’s story, Tyler Enders said, and the new terminal at the Kansas City International Airport gives travelers coming into the city the perfect prologue. “Right when people land in Kansas City, they will be introduced to local artwork, local restaurants and local retail brands. When they go…
Cafe finds kinship with KCK entrepreneur, sourcing coffee expertise amid celebration of Black excellence
The evolution of a 107-year-old eastern Jackson County service organization is still brewing in Independence as BlendWell Community Cafe pours coffee and deeper connections through a celebration of diversity — and partnership with an entrepreneur across the state line who shares its mission, said Doug Cowan. “In 2015, we bought this building and we started…
Nightclub owner hopes renovated 18th and Vine space will evoke ‘richness’ of Jazz District’s heyday
A revitalized building in the 18th and Vine Jazz District that once housed a hair salon will reopen this summer as a restaurant and nightclub, teased developer Adam Jones. The spot will be named Ruthelle’s in honor of Ruthelle Winkfield, who operated the salon and lived in the building’s upper level for more than 50…
Starting a small biz comes with struggle; this Topeka grants program helps cut the risk
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to Go Topeka, which seeks economic success for all companies and citizens across Shawnee County through implementation of an aggressive economic development strategy that capitalizes…