BT acquire Madasafish with Brightview buy-out
6th July 2007
BT has announced today that they have agreed to acquire Madasafish with the purchase of the Brightview Group Limited which runs the ISP, Brightview plc have preliminarily accepted an offer from BT of £15.8 million.
This offer is still subject to a vote from shareholders but it is still looking close to being a done deal. The move will see approximately 62,000 broadband customers join up with Plusnet and BT users under the control of BT.
Brightview was established in 2001 and generated revenues of £11 million in the year ending June 2006. Brightview is a small consumer and business ISP running under a number of brand names including Global Internet, Waitrose Internet, GreenBee (in conjunction with John Lewis) and their most popular brand Madasafish.
Ian Livingston, BT Retail chief executive said, “BT already provides the UK’s most popular and best-performing ADSL broadband service. This acquisition will ensure that Brightview’s customers can benefit from our market-leading services, resources and technology development as well as the excellent customer service they’re already receiving.”
Brightview featured very heavily in the recent Watchdog survey with 3 of their ISPs in the top 4 in terms of customer satisfaction. This is a sign that BT are aiming to acquire quality ISPs as apposed to just quantity of numbers. This is reinforced as they recently passed up the chance to buy Pipex, an ISP with a significantly higher number of customers. There are also still rumours that Tiscali may be bought soon.
The Brightview Group will still run using the same brands under BT, and enthusiasm is high within the camp, as Samara Zittin from Madasafish customer services said “With BT’s investment it means that we’ll be able to extend an even greater product offering to our customers, whilst still maintaining the high level of customer service that Brightview ISPs are known for.”
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10 comments
Well I shall be jumping ship if this is true. BT payment processing charge for not paying your bill by Direct Debit £4.50 Some people don’t actually have bank accounts so to charge them £4.50 for the privilege of actually paying their bill is what BT shareholders will be very pleased to hear.
Edward Duncan, 9th July 2007
Be warned BT if you mess up this wonderful ISP I will move my account I’ve been with Madasafish since the very begining in 2001 and have never been let down by their service “it does what it says on the tin” no fuss no drama it just work I will be warching very closly.
Mck Whelan, 9th July 2007
we have just signed up to madasafish moving from bt i am now wondering why we even bothered …
maree, 25th July 2007
Oh Sweet Jesus.
I was with BT and was fairly unimpressed with slow speeds and unconcerned Customer care. Swapped to Virgin as I didn’t have so sign my life away on a contract and found that my connection speeds were strangled by BT due to my usage, which, if I had been notified about I would have happily paid more. But instead its taken me ages to find out for myself. When I asked Virgin about this, they said to contact BT…. Great.
I’ve been looking for a new provider who I will gladly pay more for better customer service and connection speeds. I chanced upon MADASAFISH and though that my prayers were answered. Now I find that they’ve sold out to BT.
WHO WILL FREE ME FROM THIS TROUBLESOME ISP BT!!!!!
Sheesh!
PM, 29th July 2007
Oh No, i don’t beleive it i moved away from BT also to find the company MAAF is now going to be owned by them, if in the forceable future they Mess it up i’m off somewhere else…..sorry
Tony t, 2nd August 2007
Oh No - I have had many problems with BT they do not seem to be interested in there customers, I changed to Madasafish talk and broadband packages when they first came live and have had a very pleasent relationship with them, they were so helpful when I had problems and it was always BT who slowed them down, I will be looking to change at the slightest problem with BT
Mike Howarth, 3rd August 2007
I’ve been with Madasafish since you began and have been very happy with you. I have done everything possible over the years to get out of the clutches of BT who are a) expensive and b) mostly incompetent and generally inept. Please tell me that Madasafish won’t be absorbed into the BT mess?
jenny van eyssen, 3rd August 2007
I echo the feelings of many Madasafish users - the service is great without issues (whether price, service or otherwise), with BT getting their hands on Brightview, who knows what will happen? however, rumour has it they have sorted out PlusNet for the better, so let’s see. Long live Madasafish!
Victor Raydo, 3rd August 2007
Dito. So if it is that BT are un-nerved by other quality broadband and phone companies, instead of raising their game and lowering their prices - they just buy them up and cut out the competition. Thanks Brightview for standing your ground and going head to head with them…..hope you enjoy your golden handshakes whilst sunning yourself in Barbados. Why is it that your customers show their commitment to you - but you show non to your customers.
Neil Forster, 5th August 2007
I like many others am not happy about BT acquiring Madasafish. However, the problem with saying “we’ll move if BT mess with it”, is how do you find an ISP as good as Madasafish. As for I’m concerned they are (were) the best.
David Swales, 13th August 2007