iomart, a UK-based cloud computing firm, has acquired the Scottish company ESQN for just shy of £2.5m as it aims to continue the expansion of its hosting empire.

ESQN, an infrastructure service provider, is latest in a line of iomart acquisition which includes hosting specialist Titan Internet and the Liverpool domain name and hosting company Switch Media.

The deal has cost iomart £2.25m upfront with a further £225,000 to be paid upon the completion of the integration.

iomart enables its customers to reduce the costs, complexity and risks of maintaining their own online applications with its range of hosting services. The attraction of the Glasgow-based ESQN is clear - it offers managed hosting solution to a range of enterprises in a variety of sectors including local governments, the NHS as well as many financial and manufacturing companies.

The deal, therefore, will help iomart expand its hosting services, support and portfolio – something the CEOs of both companies were enthusiastic about.

Angus MacSween, CEO of iomart, is confident that the deal will help the company to continue its impressive growth. He said: “The purchase of EQSN fits perfectly with our stated intention of looking for acquisitions that add depth and value. We are ambitious to keep growing organically and by acquisitions and will continue to look for similar opportunities moving forward.”

ESQN’s CEO, Andrew Lorimer, was equally positive when reflecting on the acquisition. He added: “Becoming part of iomart is a natural next step for us. It means that we can offer our customers even more value through an extended service portfolio and facilities because of iomart's fully owned, managed and secure data centre network and its commitment to providing customers with peace of mind.”