Web.com
Encyclopedia
Web.com, Inc formerly Interland (NASDAQ:INLD), was a provider of websites and web services to small businesses and consumers, based in Atlanta, Georgia
. Web.com's services included do-it-yourself and professional website design, web hosting, e-commerce, web marketing, and e-mail. As of March 2007, there were approximately 166,000 paid hosting subscribers in 2007.
Along with various web products and services, Web.com provided small businesses, entrepreneurs and consumers with advice and tips for developing a strong online presence. It owned the brands Web.com, Interland, Trellix
, and Hostpro.
On September 30, 2007, Web.com merged with Website Pros.
, Communitech and WazooWeb. The company acquired Web.com in December 2005 for $4.8 million and changed its name from Interland to Web.com. In August 2005, Interland’s Board of Directors decided to bring in new management with the goal of turning around the company. It removed its former CEO, Joel Kocher
, and replaced him with Jeff Stibel
. Over the next several months the company also brought in a new Chief Technology Officer, Vikas Rijsinghani (former founder and CTO of VerticalOne) and a new Chief Marketing Officer, Judy Hackett (former CMO of CareerBuilder).
Web.com held 21 registered patents and claimed to have the primary underlying technology for various aspects of web hosting, software as a service, customer-facing control panels, and website builders. Some of these patents were licensed to Hostopia, a wholesale web hosting provider. On February 1, 2007, Netcraft
named Web.com one of the most reliable hosting companies.
When the company was known as Interland, the stock had risen to meteoric levels and then suffered with the "Dot-com bubble
" and was ranked among the 10 worst performances for a United States listed company. But since the company brought on new management and changed its name to Web.com, the stock price recovered. At the time of the merger with Website Pros, the company's stock closed at $7.15, which represented more than a threefold increase since new management joined in August 2005. According to the company’s financials, the last four quarters showed revenue and subscriber growth at Web.com, despite having consistently lost revenues and subscribers prior to the turnaround. During the first quarter of 2007, the company announced a profit and earnings growth but the second quarter of 2007 the company reported a loss, mainly due to merger related costs.
, will hold two of seven seats on Website Pro's Board. The merger was completed on October1st, 2007.
Prior to the Web.com merger, Website Pros had acquired: 1ShoppingCart.com, LEADS.com, NetObjects, Renovation Experts.com, and Submitawebsite.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Web.com's services included do-it-yourself and professional website design, web hosting, e-commerce, web marketing, and e-mail. As of March 2007, there were approximately 166,000 paid hosting subscribers in 2007.
Along with various web products and services, Web.com provided small businesses, entrepreneurs and consumers with advice and tips for developing a strong online presence. It owned the brands Web.com, Interland, Trellix
Trellix
Trellix was a software company whose various software offerings allowed web users to set up personal websites with the use of online publishing tools...
, and Hostpro.
On September 30, 2007, Web.com merged with Website Pros.
History
The Company was founded as MicronPC, a multi-billion PC manufacturer but later merged with Interland, which was another public company based in Atlanta, GA. The combined company changed its name to Interland and sold the PC business to focus on Internet hosting. Interland's primary business was providing web services, such as shared and dedicated hosting. Interland acquired numerous hosting companies between the years 2001 and 2006, including HostPro, Innerhost, Dialtone, Interland, Burlee, TrellixTrellix
Trellix was a software company whose various software offerings allowed web users to set up personal websites with the use of online publishing tools...
, Communitech and WazooWeb. The company acquired Web.com in December 2005 for $4.8 million and changed its name from Interland to Web.com. In August 2005, Interland’s Board of Directors decided to bring in new management with the goal of turning around the company. It removed its former CEO, Joel Kocher
Joel Kocher
Joel Kocher is an American businessman.He was an employee of Dell for seven years, and eventually became Dell's #2 executive behind Michael Dell, President of Worldwide Marketing, Sales and Service. He developed Dell's initial commercial and government strategy and execution...
, and replaced him with Jeff Stibel
Jeff Stibel
Jeffrey M. Stibel is an entrepreneur, having started numerous technology and marketing companies. At age 32, he became one of the youngest public company CEOs in America and opened the NASDAQ stock market on June 15, 2007. He is also a brain scientist and published author.- Business :Stibel is...
. Over the next several months the company also brought in a new Chief Technology Officer, Vikas Rijsinghani (former founder and CTO of VerticalOne) and a new Chief Marketing Officer, Judy Hackett (former CMO of CareerBuilder).
Web.com held 21 registered patents and claimed to have the primary underlying technology for various aspects of web hosting, software as a service, customer-facing control panels, and website builders. Some of these patents were licensed to Hostopia, a wholesale web hosting provider. On February 1, 2007, Netcraft
Netcraft
Netcraft is an Internet services company based in Bath, England.Netcraft provides web server and web hosting market-share analysis, including web server and operating system detection...
named Web.com one of the most reliable hosting companies.
When the company was known as Interland, the stock had risen to meteoric levels and then suffered with the "Dot-com bubble
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
" and was ranked among the 10 worst performances for a United States listed company. But since the company brought on new management and changed its name to Web.com, the stock price recovered. At the time of the merger with Website Pros, the company's stock closed at $7.15, which represented more than a threefold increase since new management joined in August 2005. According to the company’s financials, the last four quarters showed revenue and subscriber growth at Web.com, despite having consistently lost revenues and subscribers prior to the turnaround. During the first quarter of 2007, the company announced a profit and earnings growth but the second quarter of 2007 the company reported a loss, mainly due to merger related costs.
Legal
The company had been involved with various lawsuits, some of these predate the web.com acquisition:- Novell brought an action against Interland in 1999 claiming underpayment of royalties. It made an out-of-court settlementSettlement (law)In law, a settlement is a resolution between disputing parties about a legal case, reached either before or after court action begins. The term "settlement" also has other meanings in the context of law.-Basis:...
in 2005. - The company made a claim against an insurer in 2000. The amount was settled, and Web.com received $6 million.
- In June 2006, Web.com filed a law suit against GoDaddy, which alleges that GoDaddy's hosting and domain plans infringed on Web.com's patents.
- WebSource Media was acquired by the company on May 24, 2006 but by June 23, Web.com filed to rescind the acquisition when it learned that WebSource had engaged in "unfair and deceptive acts and business practices". Web.com was appointed to manage the business operations as an agent of the receiver when the court ordered that it be managed by a receiver.
Website Pros
On June 26, 2007, Website Pros and Web.com announced that "the two companies have signed a definitive merger agreement". Website Pros, as the bigger of the two companies, acquired Web.com for a total of approximately ~$130 million, consisting of $25 million in cash and the rest in stock. Web.com representatives, including Jeff Stibel as the new PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, will hold two of seven seats on Website Pro's Board. The merger was completed on October1st, 2007.
Prior to the Web.com merger, Website Pros had acquired: 1ShoppingCart.com, LEADS.com, NetObjects, Renovation Experts.com, and Submitawebsite.