EUnet International Ltd has acquired a 50% share the German internet service provider Xlink Internet Services GmbH, in a move that marks the European internet service providers’ return to the German market. EUnet, once a loose consortium of academic European internet providers, began acquiring its member companies a few years ago following a rash of predatory acquisitions by its competitors. EUNet Germany was one of the first to fall, when UUNet Technologies Inc took a 40% stake in the outfit back in 1995 (CI No 2,797). The firm was re-branded UUNet Germany a year later (CI No 3,239). EUnet has bought its stake in Xlink from Compagnie des Machines Bull SA’s German operation, Bull AG, which already has joint sales and marketing agreement with EUnet International BV. Bull is consolidating its operations back to its core businesses. The deal gives Xlink, said to be the third largest service provider in Germany, access to EUnet’s international backbone, and entry into the 42-country, 400 point- of-presense EUnet network. Xlink was formed as long ago as 1983 at Karlsruhe University, and later became known as NTG Netzwerk und Telematic GmbH. The German internet market is currently growing at around 9% per month, according to EUnet.
