-
Sales
Sales Enquiries
0800 328 7477
- My NetBenefit
Feed aggregator
PEER 1 Hosting Positioned as a “Challenger” in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, North America
Vancouver, British Columbia – April 22, 2013 – PEER 1 Hosting, the global IT hosting provider, has been positioned as a challenger in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, North America 2013.
North American enterprise-class managed hosting providers that are capable of providing fully-managed services for complex, mission-critical websites are included in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, North America.
Fabio Banducci, President & CEO, PEER 1 Hosting, said: “To be positioned in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, North America is very rewarding. We believe this acknowledgement highlights the commitment PEER 1 Hosting has to providing the most human experience on the web, allowing our customers to focus on the possibilities of the Internet rather then the problems.”
“Our dedication to this vision, where every interaction matters, manifests in all areas of the business. For example, customers using multiple data centers do not pay transit costs across our backbone network. We also have customer advocates who are not tied to sales quotas, but who are dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction”
PEER 1 Hosting offers a full range of managed hosting and cloud services, as well as dedicated and colocation services to its customers that want to offer Internet applications while maintaining performance and 100 percent uptime.
For more information and to download the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, North America, please visit: www.peer1.com/why-peer-1/about-us/2013-gartner-magic-quadrant-managed-hosting.
ENDS
About the Magic QuadrantGartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
About PEER 1 HostingPEER 1 Hosting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable Inc. (TSX: CCA), is one of the world's leading web hosting providers, specializing in Managed Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Colocation and Cloud Services. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southampton, U.K., the company has been serving commercial customers' needs since 1999. PEER 1 Hosting is built on two obsessions: Ping & People. Ping represents its commitment to best-in-breed technology, founded on a high performance 10Gbps FastFiber Network™ connected by 20 state-of-the-art data centers. People represents its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service to its more than 13,000 customers worldwide, backed by a 100 percent uptime guarantee. For more information visit: www.peer1.com.
For More Information:March Communications
Sarah Love
+1 617 960 9881
[email protected]
Cogeco Cable announces successful completion of compulsory acquisition
Montréal and Vancouver, April 3, 2013 – Cogeco Cable Inc. (“Cogeco Cable”) (TSX: CCA) and Peer 1 Network Enterprises, Inc. (“PEER 1”) announced today that 0957926 B.C. Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable, has completed its compulsory acquisition of all of the remaining outstanding common shares of PEER 1 (the “Common Shares”), at a price of $3.85 in cash per Common Share, pursuant to the notice of compulsory acquisition made under Section 300 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), and now owns 100% of the outstanding Common Shares.
In addition, PEER 1 announced today that the Common Shares have been delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange as of the close of business (Toronto time) on March 28, 2013. PEER 1 also announced that PEER 1 has applied to the relevant securities commissions to cease to be a reporting issuer in all applicable jurisdictions.
About Cogeco CableCogeco Cable (www.cogeco.ca) is a telecommunications corporation and is the 11th largest hybrid fibre coaxial cable operator in North America operating in Canada under the Cogeco Cable brand name in Quebec and Ontario, and in the United States through its subsidiary Atlantic Broadband in Western Pennsylvania, South Florida, Maryland, Delaware and South Carolina. Its two-way broadband cable networks provide to its residential and small business customers Analogue and Digital Television, High Speed Internet («HSI») and Telephony services. Through its subsidiaries Cogeco Data Services and PEER 1 Hosting, Cogeco Cable provides its commercial customers a suite of IT hosting, information and communications technology services (Data Centre, Co-location, Managed Hosting, Cloud Infrastructure and Connectivity), with 23 data centres, extensive fibre networks in Montreal and Toronto as well as points-of-presence in North America and Europe. Cogeco Cable’s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA). For more information about Cogeco Cable and its subsidiaries visit cogeco.ca, cogecodata.com, peer1.com and peer1hosting.co.uk.
About PEER 1 HostingPEER 1 Hosting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable Inc. (TSX: CCA), is one of the world's leading web hosting providers, specializing in Managed Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Colocation and Cloud Services. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southampton, U.K., the company has been serving commercial customers' needs since 1999. PEER 1 Hosting is built on two obsessions: Ping & People. Ping represents its commitment to best-in-breed technology, founded on a high performance 10Gbps FastFiber Network(tm) connected by 19 state-of-the-art data centers. People represents its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service to its more than 13,000 customers worldwide, backed by a 100 percent uptime guarantee. For more information visit: www.peer1.com.
– 30 –
Medias:René Guimond
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
Tel.: (514) 764-4746
March Communications on behalf of PEER 1 Hosting
Sarah Love
Tel.: (617) 960-9881
[email protected]
Pierre Gagné
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Tel.: (514) 764-4756
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward- looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to Cogeco Cable’s or PEER 1’s future outlook and anticipated events, business, operations, financial performance, financial condition or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue”, “foresee”, “ensure” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In particular, statements and information regarding Cogeco Cable’s intention to cause PEER 1 to cease to be a reporting issuer are forward-looking statements. In addition, statements regarding Cogeco Cable’s or PEER 1’s future operating results and economic performance and its objectives and strategies are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including expected growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities which Cogeco Cable or PEER 1, as applicable, believes are reasonable as of the current date. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to Cogeco Cable or PEER 1, as applicable, they may prove to be incorrect. Cogeco Cable and PEER 1 caution the reader that the economic downturn experienced over the past few years make forward-looking information and the underlying assumptions subject to greater uncertainty and that, consequently, they may not materialize, or the results may significantly differ from Cogeco Cable's and PEER 1’s expectations. It is impossible for Cogeco Cable or PEER 1 to predict with certainty the impact that the current economic uncertainties may have on future results. Forward-looking information is also subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what Cogeco Cable or PEER 1 currently expect. These factors include technological changes, changes in market and competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions, the development of new products and services, the enhancement of existing products and services, and the introduction of competing products having technological or other advantages, many of which are beyond Cogeco Cable's and PEER 1’s control. Therefore, future events and results may vary significantly from what management currently foresees. For more exhaustive information on these risks and uncertainties, prospective purchasers should refer to the risk factors described in the management's discussion and analysis of Cogeco Cable for the year ended August 31, 2012 and the risk factors described in the annual information form of PEER 1 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. Prospective investors should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While management may elect to, Cogeco Cable and PEER 1 are under no obligation and does not undertake to, update or alter this information at any particular time, except as may be required by law.
Use as Press Release: NoPEER 1 Hosting Launches Enterprise-Grade Public Cloud
SANTA CLARA, Calif.; Cloud Connect – April 2, 2013 – PEER 1 Hosting, the global IT hosting provider, today announced the international launch of its Mission Critical Cloud. This new enterprise-grade public cloud infrastructure solution provides best-in-class security, built-in disaster recovery and sophisticated cloud management functions that automate day-to-day IT activities.
Powering PEER 1 Hosting’s Mission Critical Cloud is Tier 3, twice recognized in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Tier 3’s cloud services are virtualized with VMware and designed to provide a public cloud computing environment that offers the security, performance and reliability that global enterprises often require.
Redundancy and enterprise-class security are built-in at every level of the customer solution, including the physical equipment, cloud resources and customer data. An extensive permissions system ensures only authorized users can access and alter systems, both at the group and individual VM level. Mission Critical Cloud also enables enterprises to meet data sovereignty needs by choosing the specific data center location within Canada, the UK and Germany to deploy their virtual servers. Mission Critical Cloud will also be available in May in the U.S. through Tier 3’s Federated data centers in Chicago, New York and Seattle.
Designed as a self-service platform, Mission Critical Cloud allows IT administrators to remain in complete control of their virtual servers through robust cloud management capabilities, including an easy-to-use admin console and the ability to arrange and manage virtual machines in logical server groups. In addition, Blueprints, a cloud orchestration feature, automate the deployment of complex cloud environments, saving time and money. Users can provision servers in minutes on the Mission Critical Cloud, providing immediate benefits to the enterprise. Users can also run detailed billing reports to easily “charge back” cloud usage across various departments.
“Mission Critical Cloud continues PEER 1 Hosting’s strategy to deliver choice of platform to its customers; this time, with an enterprise-grade public cloud,” said Carl Brooks, Internet infrastructure services analyst at 451 Group. “It’s an extension of PEER 1 Hosting and Tier 3’s existing partnership, and PEER 1 Hosting has accurately identified the customer base that will want features like enterprise-class security, native disaster recovery and virtual machine blueprinting.”
“Businesses want to accelerate their adoption of the public cloud, but many providers don’t deliver a complete solution that elegantly addresses common enterprise requirements,” said Mark Cravotta, senior vice president, Tier 3. “With PEER 1 Hosting’s Mission Critical Cloud, powered by Tier 3, enterprises now have an alternative that natively supports complex scenarios. Tier 3 strives to make global cloud deployments dramatically easier, and that's just what we've done in partnership with PEER 1 Hosting.”
“Many enterprises are searching for a more powerful, yet less complex public cloud solution,” said Robert Miggins, SVP, Business Development, PEER 1 Hosting. “Mission Critical Cloud addresses that need with a complete enterprise-grade cloud platform that eliminates concerns typically associated with public cloud usage and instead introduces them to the benefits of the public cloud - from increased ROI to reduced complexity and operational costs. Mission Critical Cloud is also a perfect example of our commitment to providing customers with choice in the cloud and allowing them to focus on the possibilities of the Internet and not the problems.”
PEER 1 Hosting’s Mission Critical Cloud increases agility by enabling enterprises to focus on their core business areas and offload workloads to shift capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx) quickly and easily. It drives additional ROI with a pay-as-you-go pricing model that gives enterprises complete visibility and control over costs.
To learn more about PEER 1 Hosting’s Mission Critical Cloud, please visit http://www.peer1.com/cloud-hosting/mission-critical-cloud.
If you’re a member of the media or analyst community attending Cloud Connect and interested in meeting with a PEER 1 Hosting executive onsite to learn more, contact Erica Frank, (+1) 330-990-5026 or [email protected].
About PEER 1 HostingPEER 1 Hosting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable Inc. (TSX: CCA), is one of the world's leading web hosting providers, specializing in Managed Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Colocation and Cloud Services. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southanmpton, U.K., the company has been serving commercial customers' needs since 1999. PEER 1 Hosting is built on two obsessions: Ping & People. Ping represents its commitment to best-in-breed technology, founded on a high performance 10Gbps FastFiber Network(tm) connected by 20 state-of-the-art data centers. People represents its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service to its more than 13,000 customers worldwide, backed by a 100 percent uptime guarantee. For more information visit: www.peer1.com.
For more information:March Communications on behalf of PEER 1 Hosting
Erica Frank
(+1) 330-990-5026
[email protected]
Cloud infrastructure and management tools reduce complexity for global deployments with security, performance, automation and reliability
Use as Press Release: NoPEER 1 Hosting Named to CRN’s 2013 5-Star Partner Program Guide
Vancouver, BC – March 25, 2013 – PEER 1 Hosting, the global IT hosting provider, today announced its listing in CRN’s 2013 Partner Program Guide as well as its 5-Star Partner rating award. The 5-Star Partner Program rating recognizes an elite subset of Partner Program Guide vendors who give solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. The CRN Partner Program Guide is the definitive listing of IT companies that service solution providers or provide products to the IT channel, recognizing vendors that have channel programs and derive a portion of their sales through the indirect IT channel.
PEER 1 Hosting’s Smart Partner Program was designed completely around the company’s partners, offering a complete, holistic program for the IT hosting space. The program focuses on training, certification and unrivaled support to help partners sell and further their own business. With a dedicated partner program manager, each partner has access to the people and solutions that will enable them to succeed. PEER 1 Hosting’s channel program puts the partner first, creating an environment that works for the reseller, and ultimately, the end user.
“The companies listed in CRN’s 2013 Partner Program Guide represent a comprehensive list of the best channel programs in the market today,” said Kelley Damore, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director, for UBM Tech Channel’s CRN. “The 5-star award is reserved for vendors that understand that a successful partnership does not rely solely on the technology. By offering their partners tools, education and regular updates, vendors on this list go above and beyond traditional support to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership.”
“It’s an honor to be awarded CRN’s 5-Star Partner Rating for our Smart Partner Program,” said Mike Mayer, Global Channel Director, PEER 1 Hosting. “We value our channel partners and provide the support and resources they need, like qualified leads, marketing resources, a partner portal and online tools, to be successful when reselling PEER 1 Hosting solutions. This 5-Star Partner Rating is great validation of our program thus far, and we look forward to continued collaboration with our partners to drive the most comprehensive program in the industry.”
The list methodology is based on objective criteria that takes into account each vendor’s investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. Vendors are assessed using information provided in their completed applications. The 2013 Partner Program Guide will be featured on CRN.com and the 5-Star Partners listing will be highlighted in the March 2013 issue of CRN.
About PEER 1 HostingPEER 1 Hosting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable Inc. (TSX: CCA), is one of the world's leading web hosting providers, specializing in Managed Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Colocation and Cloud Services. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southanmpton, U.K., the company has been serving commercial customers' needs since 1999. PEER 1 Hosting is built on two obsessions: Ping & People. Ping represents its commitment to best-in-breed technology, founded on a high performance 10Gbps FastFiber Network(tm) connected by 20 state-of-the-art data centers. People represents its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service to its more than 13,000 customers worldwide, backed by a 100 percent uptime guarantee. For more information visit: www.peer1.com.
About UBM Tech Channel www.ubmchannel.com)UBM Tech Channel, a UBM company, is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, UBM Tech Channel has the unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. To learn more about UBM Tech Channel, visit us at: www.ubmchannel.com.
UBM llc (www.ubm.com)UBM llc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries is organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.ubm.com
For more informationMarch Communications on behalf of PEER 1 Hosting
Sarah Love
(+1) 617-960-9881
[email protected]
5-Star designation identifies PEER 1 Hosting’s partner program as one of the IT channel's most elite
Use as Press Release: NoPEER 1 Hosting Launches Map of the Internet, an Interactive 3D App
Vancouver, British Columbia – March 6, 2013 – PEER 1 Hosting the global IT hosting provider, today launches its Map of the Internet app, a 3D visualization of the world’s networks and how they are connected.
A continuation of the Map of the Internet infographic poster created in 2011, the interactive app brings to life what the Internet physically looks like using the network addresses of ISPs, Internet exchange points, universities and other organizations that route traffic online.
The app is part of PEER 1 Hosting’s mission to be the most human company on the web, further demonstrating its passion, expertise and thought leadership around networking and the Internet.
PEER 1 Hosting’s Map of the Internet app serves as an educational tool for the hosting industry, academia and everyone interested in networking and the physical infrastructure of the Internet. Based on Internet topology from the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), the app showcases the Internet’s evolution from its beginning to the present day, depicting 22,961 autonomous system nodes joined by 50,519 connections (source: CAIDA.org).
Additional features allow users to perform a trace route between where they are currently located to another destination on the map, generating the route with real-time data and calculating the time it takes for the data to travel between the two locations.
Users can see where popular companies like Google and Facebook are located on the Internet, as well as when such companies first appeared online. In addition to showcasing the Internet’s history, the app allows users to see how the Internet will evolve between now and 2020.
Robert Miggins, senior vice president, business development, PEER 1 Hosting said: “We’re passionate about the Internet and continue to look for ways to demonstrate and share that with the world; the Map of the Internet app exemplifies those efforts.”
“People are curious about what’s going on under the hood of the Internet and this app allows users to easily view and understand how it works.”
About PEER 1 HostingPEER 1 Hosting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable Inc. (TSX: CCA), is one of the world's leading web hosting providers, specializing in Managed Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Colocation and Cloud Services. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southampton, U.K., the company has been serving commercial customers' needs since 1999. PEER 1 Hosting is built on two obsessions: Ping & People. Ping represents its commitment to best-in-breed technology, founded on a high performance 10Gbps FastFiber Network(tm) connected by 20 state-of-the-art data centers. People represents its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service to its more than 13,000 customers worldwide, backed by a 100 percent uptime guarantee. For more information visit: www.peer1.com.
For More InformationMarch Communications
Sarah Love
+1 617 960 9881
[email protected]
Hosting Providers Use Worldwide Data to Create a Visual Representation of the Internet
Use as Press Release: NoCogeco Cable announces successful completion of bid for Peer 1 Network Enterprises
Montréal and Vancouver, January 29, 2013 – Cogeco Cable Inc. ("Cogeco Cable") (TSX: CCA) and Peer 1 Network Enterprises, Inc. ("PEER 1") (TSX: PIX) announced today that 124,112,692 common shares (the "Deposited Shares") of PEER 1, representing approximately 96.57% of the outstanding common shares ("Common Shares") of PEER 1 (calculated on a fully-diluted basis), have been validly deposited prior to the expiry of the offer (the "Offer") made by Cogeco Cable, through its indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary 0957926 B.C. LTD. (the "Offeror"), to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares for $3.85 per Common Share in cash. All conditions of the Offer have been satisfied and the Offer has now expired and will not be extended. The Offeror has taken up all of the Deposited Shares and payment for the Deposited Shares will be made on or before February 1, 2013 to Computershare Investor Services Inc., as depository under the Offer, for payment to PEER 1 shareholders who have validly deposited their Common Shares under the Offer.
"We are excited that all conditions of our Offer have been satisfied and are thrilled with the prospects this acquisition presents to Cogeco Cable shareholders, customers and employees," said Louis Audet, President and CEO of Cogeco Cable.
"We are fully committed to implementing our growth strategy in the data centre services sector and to further develop our robust service suite for businesses across Canada, the U.S. and parts of Europe. PEER 1, along with Cogeco Cable's subsidiary Cogeco Data Services, will focus on delivering a seamless solution for our customers' increasingly sophisticated and complex needs. The infrastructure and expertise of both organizations provides us with the scale and scope to maximize potential growth in the enterprise services market," concluded Mr. Audet.
"This transaction opens new possibilities for our customers, management and employees," said Fabio Banducci, President and CEO of PEER 1. "Similar to Cogeco Cable and its subsidiaries, PEER1 strives to provide exceptional customer service and deliver technological excellence to our customers."
As the Offer was accepted by holders of more than 90% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (calculated on a fully-diluted basis), Cogeco Cable will take control of PEER 1's board of directors and operations and intends to acquire through the Offeror all of the remaining Common Shares not deposited under the Offer pursuant to the compulsory acquisition provisions in Section 300 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). Cogeco Cable expects to mail a notice of compulsory acquisition (the "Notice of Compulsory Acquisition") to all remaining holders of Common Shares shortly. Cogeco Cable further intends to cause the Common Shares to be de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange and to cause PEER 1 to cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable securities laws as soon as possible.
In connection with the completion of the Offer, Cogeco Cable has entered into secured revolving credit facilities in the amount of the Canadian equivalent of $250 million and having a maturity of four years as well as secured term credit facilities in the amount of the Canadian equivalent of $400 million and also having a maturity of four years, with a syndicate of lenders led by National Bank of Canada and will fund the payment for the Deposited Shares using the new credit facilities.
ABOUT COGECO CABLE
Cogeco Cable (www.cogeco.ca) is a telecommunications corporation and is the second largest hybrid fibre coaxial cable operator in Ontario and Québec. Through its two-way broadband cable networks, Cogeco Cable provides its residential customers with Analogue and Digital Television, High Speed Internet («HSI») and Telephony services. Cogeco Cable is also present in the United States through its subsidiary, Atlantic Broadband, whose head office is located in Quincy, Massachusetts. Atlantic Broadband is ranked the 12th largest cable television system operator in the United States and, serves a number of markets in Western Pennsylvania, Southern Florida, Maryland, Delaware and South Carolina. Cogeco Cable provides as well to its commercial customers, through its subsidiary Cogeco Data Services, data networking, e-business applications, video conferencing, hosting services, Ethernet, private line, VoIP, HSI access, data storage, data security, co-location services, managed IT services, cloud services and other advanced communication solutions. Cogeco Cable's subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).
ABOUT PEER 1 Hosting
PEER 1 Hosting (www.peer1.com) is one of the world's leading IT hosting providers. The company is built on two obsessions: Ping & People. Ping, represents its commitment to best-in-breed technology, founded on a high performance 10Gbps FastFiber Network™ connected by 19 state-of-the-art data centres and 21 points-of-presence throughout North America and Europe. People, represents its commitment to delivering outstanding customer service to its more than 10,000 customers worldwide, backed by a 100 percent uptime guarantee and 24x7x365 FirstCall Support™. Info-Tech Research Group recently named PEER 1 Hosting as a "Champion" in its Canadian colocation and managed services Vendor Landscape report, recognizing the company's strength in product offerings and enterprise strategy in the global IT marketplace. PEER 1 Hosting's portfolio includes Managed Hosting, Dedicated Servers under the ServerBeach brand, Colocation and Cloud Services under the Zunicore brand. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southampton, UK. PEER 1 Hosting shares are traded on the TSX under the symbol PIX. For more information visit: www.peer1.com or www.peer1hosting.co.uk.
Medias: René Guimond
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
Tel.: (514) 764-4746
March Communications on behalf of PEER 1 Hosting
Sarah Love
Tel.: (617) 960-9881
[email protected]
Analysts and investors:
Pierre Gagné
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Tel.: (514) 764-4756
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward- looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to Cogeco Cable's or PEER 1's future outlook and anticipated events, business, operations, financial performance, financial condition or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "foresee", "ensure" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In particular, statements and information regarding the timing of payment for Deposited Shares, the acquisition of Common Shares not deposited prior to the expiry of the Offer pursuant to a compulsory acquisition transaction, the mailing and filing of the Notice of Compulsory Acquisition, Cogeco Cable's intention to delist the Common Shares and cause PEER 1 to cease to be a reporting issuer are forward-looking statements. In addition, statements regarding Cogeco Cable's or PEER 1's future operating results and economic performance and its objectives and strategies are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including expected growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities which Cogeco Cable or PEER 1, as applicable, believes are reasonable as of the current date. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to Cogeco Cable or PEER 1, as applicable, they may prove to be incorrect. Cogeco Cable and PEER 1 caution the reader that the economic downturn experienced over the past few years make forward-looking information and the underlying assumptions subject to greater uncertainty and that, consequently, they may not materialize, or the results may significantly differ from Cogeco Cable's and PEER 1's expectations. It is impossible for Cogeco Cable or PEER 1 to predict with certainty the impact that the current economic uncertainties may have on future results. Forward-looking information is also subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what Cogeco Cable or PEER 1 currently expect. These factors include technological changes, changes in market and competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions, the development of new products and services, the enhancement of existing products and services, and the introduction of competing products having technological or other advantages, many of which are beyond Cogeco Cable's and PEER 1's control. These factors also include actions taken by PEER 1 shareholders in respect of the Offer and the compulsory acquisition process. Therefore, future events and results may vary significantly from what management currently foresees. For more exhaustive information on these risks and uncertainties, prospective purchasers should refer to the risk factors described in the management's discussion and analysis of Cogeco Cable for the year ended August 31, 2012 and the risk factors described in the annual information form of PEER 1 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. Prospective investors should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While management may elect to, Cogeco Cable and PEER 1 are under no obligation and does not undertake to, update or alter this information at any particular time, except as may be required by law.
Use as Press Release: NoSecurity hacks highlight importance of strong password policies
If you’ve been paying attention to the latest trends in IT, you may have noticed that hacking attacks and identity theft are growing problems many businesses have to deal with.
Several recent high-profile hacking attacks may serve as a reminder to companies about the importance of having robust policies in place with regards to login details.
In one case, some users of Dropbox were caught out after hackers were able to use username and password details stolen from other sites to gain access to the cloud storage service.
The firm responded to this by adding extra security measures to close vulnerabilities created by this. New features include two-factor authentication and additional automated mechanisms to detect suspicious activity.
In a blog post, Dropbox also urged users to improve their online safety by ensuring they use unique passwords for all their online accounts.
The company said: “Though it’s easy to reuse the same password on different websites, this means if any one site is compromised, all your accounts are at risk.”
Elsewhere, Amazon has sought to tighten its security procedures after a hacker discovered the site allowed people to change account settings over the phone, as long as a caller could provide their name, email address and mailing address.
As all of these may be easily found online, it resulted in a hacker gaining access to the account of Wired reporter Mat Honan. This meant they could view select credit card information, which in turn allowed them to steal more personal data.
Marie Johnson, Marketing Manager at NetBenefit gives the following tips for password protection.
What these attacks demonstrate is that many people may be vulnerable to identity theft if they do not take care with their account information. However, there are several key steps they can take to minimise this risk.
Central to this is thinking carefully about the usernames and passwords you use to log in to accounts. For example, if you’re using an email address as your username, this may not be secure especially if the address is available elsewhere on internet. Similarly, using easy-to-guess or repeated passwords should be a big no.
As it may be difficult to remember multiple passwords, taking advantage of a password manager such as 1Password or LastPass could be highly useful. However, if you do this, you’ll need to make sure your master password and username are especially strong to avoid putting all your sites at risk.
Well Hello PEER Mates…
Communication is one of the most important tools in business and is a skill integral to every role within an organisation. Communication ensures everyone in a team has a clear understanding of their responsibilities in contributing to completing any task. Communication ensures customers are at the centre of discussions for the initial scoping of their solution, through service delivery, to daily support and management. Communication ensures we work at enhancing processes, doing things smarter and more effectively. Communication is key to a successful, thriving business, Therefore the theme of communication was the ideal focus for a day linking up with our new colleagues in Southampton.
First stop was the PEER 1 state-of-the-art data centre facility in Portsmouth.
The datacenter has been designed especially with flexibility and scalability in mind and has impressive green credentials. Modular ‘pods’ mean the use of space can be customised based on requirements. 11MVA of available power more than meets the needs of high performance computing. A revolutionary cooling system called Excool results in an amazing Power Usage Effectiveness ratio of 1.1 and makes the building the most energy-efficient data centre in the UK. The data centre goes beyond ticking the boxes. There’s attention to detail and the highest standards in every aspect of the site from security to client build rooms.
We then headed to Ocean Village in Southampton to meet more of our peers aboard the Princess Caroline. We all went through acting exercises demonstrating communication and working together. By lunchtime we all knew a lot more about each other. The seriously hard work of assimilating the complexities of communication (aka fun) continued in the afternoon when we had the opportunity to act out our favourite joke. Have you ever tried that before? I would urge you to – it’s very very funny. Often even more hilarious than the joke itself! We were still laughing as we made our way across to the PEER 1 offices where we were given yet another extremely warm welcome – inclusive of streamers, cake, more cake and a quick game on the pool table – before heading back to London. Whether it’s got something to do with overlooking a beautiful marina there’s definitely a creative atmosphere at the Southampton office.
We all communicate with our customers and peers on a daily basis. We can achieve more and have a sense of a job not just done well but a job done exceptionally well if we communicate well. During the day with the fantastic team in Southampton there were so many exciting and expressive ways in which we were communicating and that really thrills me about the future as part of PEER 1 hosting.
Written by Caroline Skene
Account Manager
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/cskene
NetBenefit infographic shows route to PCI compliance
If your company is handling cardholder data, one of your top priorities may be becoming certified as PCI DSS compliant to reassure their customers and partners you are fully secure. This may be a complex and intimidating process for some firms, particularly smaller organisations that do not have the resources to dedicate to the process.
If this is the case for you, it may be you can therefore benefit from NetBenefit’s new ‘Snakes and Hackers’ infographic, which offers several tips to businesses looking to become PCI compliant, as well as highlighting some common pitfalls to be avoided. In it, we use the familiar board game to illustrate the essential steps you must take to successfully complete the process.
This is critical in the current environment as, with the number of cyber attacks on the increase, having a fully secure system has never been more important for companies doing business over the internet.
But if you think PCI compliance is just for large firms, think again. Online retailers of all sizes now need to prove they are working towards this goal, as many payment service providers will not work with merchants that are negligent in this area. Therefore, the Snakes and Hackers infographic could be a valuable tool to companies seeking to understand exactly what they need to do in this area.
NetBenefit Marketing manager Marie Johnson explained: “Small and medium-sized businesses that are unsure of what the PCI DSS process requires may look to take advantage of the ‘Snakes and Hackers’ infographic, as it offers a comprehensive overview about what they need to do to ensure customer information is kept fully secure.”
“Businesses are reminded of key steps such as the importance of keeping their anti-virus software up-to-date and testing their processes on a regular basis, as well as maintaining a robust security policy across their business. These elements are vital, as companies that neglect to conduct a quarterly review of their network may be putting their PCI DSS compliant status in jeopardy if they fail to respond to the latest threats facing the sector.”
You may think becoming PCI compliant sounds like too much effort, but the increasing number of security breaches means it is almost inevitable a business will come under attack sooner or later.
Therefore, if your firm does not have procedures in place to guard against this eventuality, it may see significant consequences, both financially and in terms of reputational damage.
Following the simple tips and processes laid out in the ‘Snakes and Hackers’ infographic, you will help your journey get on the road to becoming PCI compliant and ensuring your systems are fully prepared for whatever attacks they may face.
Marie continues “As we are one of the UK’s few Level 1 PCI DSS certified service providers, you can rest assured you will receive the highest quality advice and assistance when partnering with us to achieve PCI compliance.”
EU Cookie Law – How will it all crumble?
Putting aside comments about only accepting cookies if they are double chocolate chip and associated with a cup of hot coffee, the EU Cookie Law which comes into force on 26 May is a significant change for online businesses, impacting user experience across the majority of websites on the Internet. The Law originated from amendments to the EU Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive made in 2009 and was imported into UK law in May 2011. UK companies were given one year to comply. The aim is to ensure that any organisation collecting information from a web user must request their consent first. With a recent KPMG study indicating that 95% of websites are not yet compliant with the new law, how should organisations approach this challenge and what issues need to be addressed? Companies face fines potentially as high as £500,000 therefore how much time and resources should be invested in achieving compliance?
Cookies are simple text files which are down loaded to your computer when you visit a website. They usually contain information such as the website reference and a unique ID. Once stored on your computer the cookie can be used to identify you and customise the experience and information presented to you when you visit that website again. Websites use cookies for a wide range of purposes including auto-filling forms, personalising content, targeting advertising and authentication. A study by Trust-e found that websites have an average of 14 cookies per page therefore the impact of this law on web design and the overall web experience is considerable.
Qubit has reported that the law will cost the UK Internet economy as much as £10 billion if compliance is implemented poorly or incorrectly. With the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) introducing a level of flexibility into their guidance and many issues open to interpretation, there does seem to be a requirement for clarification, especially around the nature and timing of consent. A cookie associated with core website features eg related to the shopping basket within an ecommerce site will likely to be compliant without changes since the user has made an explicit request. However a cookie utilised to present a selection of online adverts to a user based on their previous browsing history would require provable, informed consent. Organisations will have to consider the impact of such a break in the flow of the user journey through the site on brand experience and, subsequently, revenue. As an example ICO have been trialling such an explicit ‘accept cookies’ feature on their own site (http://www.ico.gov.uk/) with just a 10% opt-in rate. However ICO’s guidance does muddy the waters slightly by stating that in some cases inferred consent is acceptable; further that consent does not necessarily have to happen prior to placing the cookie on the user’s computer, it can happen at a point soon after.
Organisations will need to work with their web developers and designers to decide on a strategy towards compliance. Activities such as cookie audits are beneficial and demonstrate a practical and constructive attitude. If a business utilises cookies for targeted advertising or personal recommendations to its online users then they will need to identify a solution which both satisfies the ICO but does not negatively affect their customer base. Affiliate marketing, which relies on cookies to record where users see specific brand promotions, may be another area heavily impacted by the law. Large organisations may have the resources to assign to such projects, however smaller online businesses may not.
With this level of uncertainty it’s no wonder most organisations are expected to take a wait and see approach. It is probable initial enforcement by ICO will focus on situations where no attempt has been made to notify users and that even then reasonable timescales in which to take remedial action will be applied. Regardless of the exact nature of the changes applied to websites under the new law, Internet users can expect to be hearing and having to understand a lot more about cookies in the future.








