TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

Via News Release

“EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.,  (Dec. 30, 2011) – Minnesota Public Radio|American Public Media (MPR|APM) has selected VISI as its new managed hosting and data center provider. VISI will host MPR|APM’s web properties, including Marketplace.org and the Public Insight Network (PIN), and utilize a new Software as a Service (SaaS) platform.”

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VISI CEO Mike Sowada’s entrepreneurial journey goes back over a decade to the co founding of web design and development firm DKS Systems in 2001. A few months later, his retail experiences with DKS would lead to the formation of enterprise hosting company Digital North, better known nowadays as VISI.

In March 2010, VISI was sold to TDS for just under $18m cash.  As a wholly owned subsidiary of TDS, VISI company continues to expand local operations.

Mike received the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award by TwinWest Chamber of Commerce in 2009 recognizing his entrepreneurial spirit and proven results. In our interview, hear Mike describe the two biggest startup pitfalls to avoid, explain why he hasn’t taken VC and share one of his greatest fears.

“I have a friend of mine who is working on his third software product of the past ten years.  He has never sold one because he’s never released one…he’s never taken the final step.” — VISI CEO Mike Sowada.

Via News Release

“TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS) announces the completion of a network expansion in Minnesota. VISI now offers a comprehensive portfolio of metro area network solutions, including advanced connectivity between its two Minnesota data centers.

The new Metro Area Network connects VISI data centers and key carrier hotels located within the Twin Cities metro area. This expansion will help VISI meet the ever-growing demand for both Internet bandwidth and data center connectivity driven by VISI’s recent $24 million data center expansion in Eden Prairie.”

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By Katharine Grayson, Minneapolis-St.Paul Business Journal

“Visi Inc. will expand capacity at its Eden Prairie data center via a $10 million investment in power and cooling equipment.

The expansion comes a little more than a year after Chicago-based Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) acquired Visi, which provides managed-hosting services, for about $17.8 million.

Visi opened the first 3,000 square feet of the data center, which is located within a 50,000-square-foot building, in summer 2010. The Eden Prairie-based company expanded the data center into a total of 12,000 square feet at the start of the year.”

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Via News Release

“VISI, the Minnesota-based data center, managed hosting and cloud computing provider, was awarded Tier III Design Certification from The Uptime Institute
for their Eden Prairie, Minnesota facility. VISI is the first commercial data center in Minnesota to receive the Tier III Design Certification from The Uptime Institute.

Tier Certification of Design Documents ensures that the data center, as represented in the design documents, are consistent with the Tier requirements of The Uptime Institite Tier Standard: Topology. The Uptime Institute is the only firm that is licensed to rate and Certify topology against The Uptime Institute’s Tier Classification System.”

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Last Monday, we reported that VISI had sold to TDS Telecommunications Corp (based in WI), a division of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (based in Chicago).  At the time, however, there were no details available on the scope or terms of the deal.

Since then, we’ve learned that TDS paid $17.8mm cash for 100% ownership of VISI.  Our sources also tell us that VISI, Inc. will retain its name/brand identity, staff, customers and the company’s Minnesota presence.  Additionally, the funds will be used to accelerate the expansion of its St. Paul & Eden Prairie Data Centers and (fittingly) potential plays in the telecommunications space.

VISI will be hosting a “Data Center Open House” to celebrate the grand opening of it’s Eden Prairie Data Center on May 21st.

Via VISI

“Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., parent company to TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®) today announced it has acquired VISI Incorporated (VISI), Minnesota’s largest locally-owned data center services and managed hosting provider.  TDS, headquartered in Madison, Wis. will have oversight and management responsibility for the acquisition.”

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By Steve Borsch, Minnov8

“Since we’re a sponsor of the upcoming CloudCamp event on March 2nd — and are huge fans of cloud computing and the innovation occurring with companies in this space — we were delighted to get a heads-up on a new partnership in town that will undoubtedly be quite a powerful combination and a great addition to Minnesota and the region.

ReliaCloud, the new service from Visi that offers small-to-medium-sized enterprises cloud computing servers and storage space, has announced a new partnership with enStratus, a national cloud management platform that delivers governance for enterprise applications in the cloud. As they state in their press release about the “2+2=12″ aspects of this alliance, “Together ReliaCloud and enStratus offer companies a seamless, manageable cloud computing service. The two organizations are also joining forces to sponsor 2010 CloudCamp events and an April 7, 2010, webinar to educate information technology professionals about the business advantages of using cloud computing.””

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By Katharine Grayson, MSP Biz Journal

“Web hosting and Internet services provider Visi Inc. is expanding is data center in St. Paul.

The Eden Prairie-based company’s St. Paul facility will grow to about 18,000 square feet, up from 11,000 square feet now. Visi also is planing upgrades to its Eden Prairie data center. The expansion is driven by demand from new customers, and the firm expects to wrap up the St. Paul project in the next two months.”

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