Blueface and Star2Star merge to create major global telecoms business

3 Jan 2018

Blueface and Star2Star are joining forces. Image: Benedek Alpar

Dublin-based Blueface is joining forces with Florida’s Star2Star.

Irish unified communications service provider Blueface is linking up with Star2Star, a major US hybrid cloud communications company. The combined entity will be known as StarBlue and will be headquartered in the the US, as Star2Star is the larger of the two firms.

Sarasota, Florida, will remain the North American headquarters while Dublin, Ireland, will remain the EMEA headquarters for Blueface.

Both firms will retain their existing trading names in their respective markets, with a combined global workforce of more than 500 people. The CEO of Star2Star, Norman Worthington, will become the executive chair of the merged company, while Blueface CEO Alan Foy will become the new Star2Star CEO as well as the group CEO of StarBlue.

A game-changing event

Foy said the merger is a game-changing event in the unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) space, as it combines proprietary UCaaS technology with “an expansive geographic distribution, capability and reach”.

He continued: “This merger positions the combined Blueface/Star2Star company as one of the leading platform and service providers that can service businesses of all sizes, partners and wholesale customers globally.

“For now, it is very much business as usual and there will be no change in branding or in the preservation of vital relationships with our partners and customers across our services in Star2Star and Blueface. In the not-too-distant future, we shall bring further enhanced, innovation-led offerings across a full spectrum of products to our partners and customers and to the wider market, which leverages the best of both companies’ capabilities and talent.”

A global leader

Worthington said that the two firms have a similar entrepreneurial culture, and he was confident in the opportunities the merger would present. “This merger of Star2Star and Blueface creates a combined company with the breadth of capability, reach and innovation to be a true global leader in the UC [unified communications] space.”

In March 2017, Blueface secured funding of €10m from the BDO Development Capital Fund led by the Irish Government and Enterprise Ireland. Following the merger, the fund has now exited the business.

Head of investments of the BDO Development Capital Fund, Andrew Bourg, said: “We were delighted to support Blueface’s goal of becoming a significant international player in its chosen market segments, and it is really satisfying to see this further significant and international development by an Irish company.”

Ellen Tannam was a journalist with Silicon Republic, covering all manner of business and tech subjects

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