IT, security visionary buys Netbotz
By Chelsie Woods
Updated Tue November 1, 2005
AUSTIN, Texas--Netbotz, a company with an IP-based product that combines the environment monitoring of data centers with video, has come together with network infrastructure visionary American Power Conversion.
The $31 million transaction takes privately held Netbotz, which was owned by venture capitalists, into the public arena as a subsidiary of APC and provides it with additional resources to expand into the data center market. The deal closed in early October.
"We're one little piece of that whole story and we think we're an important piece, as does APC," said Tom Goldman, former president and chief executive officer of Netbotz, a 61 employee company, and now its general manager.
More than 2,700 customers use Netbotz's solutions to monitor extreme heat, water leaks, sabotage and chemical materials in data centers. Its product is web-based and incorporates motion detection cameras and management software.
Goldman said there is little overlap between Netbotz's security solution and APC. Some environmental monitoring products from APC will now come under the Netbotz subsidiary.
According to Dave Johnson, APC can now offer its customers a complete physical infrastructure.
"We're finding our customers, the IT managers and chief financial officers, are concerned about physical security," he said. "Netbotz's products will address that solution."
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