American Digital expands, hunts for more acquisitions
American Digital Corp., a 25-year-old technology services company, is moving its headquarters from Arlington Heights to Elk Grove Village in coming weeks so it can double its space to accommodate increased business and two major acquisitions.
The company, that offers data storage and other products to large companies, just spent roughly $3 million to acquired Helixstorm, a provider of managed services in Murrieta, Calif. A couple of years ago, American Digital bought V Comp Services in Lombard, which offered virtual computing services. And it plans more such acquisitions, said American Digital President and CEO Norb Wojcik.
“We have customers that look at their data center as a strategic advantage so they could be better than their competition. They don't look at it as an expense,” Wojcik said.
The Helixstorm addition is part of American Digital's expansion to offer more digital services to large companies nationwide. It focuses on commercial, health care and educational markets for now. But that also could change. The company next is seeking to offer cloud services, which allow companies to store data and other services via a data center that could be located anywhere.
But Wojcik isn't going to buy just any company. The fit and culture have to be just right, he said.
“We're going to continue to get the right resources to keep growing,” he said.
Surfing: T-Mobile USA Inc. will supplement its iPhone 5 upfront pricing with a trade-in offer when the smartphone arrives in T-Mobile stores today. The trade-in offer, which lasts through June 16, enables qualified customers who bring in their iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 to get the iPhone 5 for no money down plus monthly payments, with a no annual service contract Simple Choice Plan from T-Mobile.
Depending on the trade-in value of their device, customers also will receive a credit of up to $120, which can be used toward monthly payments, an existing T-Mobile bill, or the purchase of accessories or another device.
Ÿ Arlington Heights-based American Society of Plastic Surgeons has partnered with RealPatientRatings.com, a consumer website that provides reviews and ratings by real patients. RealPatientRatings provides patient satisfaction surveys on the association's member surgeons and posts the ratings and reviews to help consumers find the plastic surgeons they want.
Ÿ Phonak, a global provider of hearing aides and other products in Warrenville, introduced Roger, a new digital line of products that wirelessly transmits the speaker's voice directly to the listener. Available for the education market beginning this summer, Roger eliminates the hassle of frequency management for FM and equivalent digital systems. Educational audiologists and teachers of the deaf have traditionally specified FM and equivalent digital systems for students with hearing loss.
ŸFollow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter. Write to her at akukec@dailyherald.com.