Savvis
Savvis is a former publicly traded managed hosting, colocation, cloud infrastructure, and information-technology services company whose operations were absorbed into CenturyLink and later Lumen Technologies.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Savvis was a United States information-technology services company that developed from an internet-networking startup into a global provider of managed hosting, colocation, cloud infrastructure, content delivery, connectivity, and professional services. The company was founded in November 1995 in the St. Louis area under the name DiamondNet by Andrew Gladney and Timothy Munro Roberts. Its early strategy centered on building a high-performance national network and winning large enterprise customers. An early contract with Apple provided an important reference account that helped the young company pursue additional corporate customers. The business attracted venture investment and experienced an early management transition. Sam Sanderson, formerly chief executive of Rogers Cable, became chief executive, while Bob Murphy, previously chief financial officer of Williams Communications, joined as chief financial officer. Roberts left the company in 1997, and Gladney moved from chief executive to vice chairman before ending his relationship with the company. In 1999, Savvis was acquired by Bridge Information Systems. It was subsequently separated from Bridge and completed an initial public offering in February 2000, trading on NASDAQ under the symbol SVVS. Savvis expanded through a combination of network construction and acquisitions. It bought WAM!NET in 2002, acquired the hosting operations and customers of Intel Online Services in 2003, and purchased major assets of Cable & Wireless America in 2004. The latter transaction added data centers, customers associated with Exodus Communications, a Tier-1 internet backbone, a content delivery network obtained from Digital Island, and professional-services capabilities. These transactions broadened Savvis beyond connectivity and positioned it as a provider of enterprise infrastructure and managed IT services. The company changed its corporate name from Savvis Communications Corporation to Savvis, Inc. in 2005 to reflect its broader global IT-services scope. It later sold its content-delivery-network business to Level 3 Communications in 2006. Savvis continued extending its international footprint with a Singapore data center in 2007, a London facility in 2008, and the acquisition of Canadian provider Fusepoint in 2010. Its offerings included managed hosting, data-center colocation, cloud computing, internet connectivity, application and media services, security-related services, and technology consulting. The company reported a customer base of approximately 2,500 business and government organizations and operated more than 50 data centers across North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2011, Savvis received recognition in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for cloud infrastructure-as-a-service and web hosting and launched a cloud-focused channel-partner program. It also partnered with Bharti Airtel on managed hosting and cloud services in India. In April 2011, CenturyLink agreed to acquire Savvis in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The acquisition closed later that year, and Savvis continued for a period as a CenturyLink business. In 2014, the operating name was changed to CenturyLink Technology Solutions, and in 2015 the business was integrated into CenturyLink's broader IT Services group. Following CenturyLink's 2020 rebranding as Lumen Technologies, the former Savvis operations became part of Lumen's enterprise technology and infrastructure portfolio rather than a separately marketed standalone company.
History
Savvis began in November 1995 as DiamondNet, a St. Louis-area internet-networking startup founded by Andrew Gladney and Timothy Munro Roberts. Gladney supplied the initial capital, while Roberts led the technical and operating design. Gary Zimmerman joined as vice president of engineering and helped develop the company's first national network. The network attracted attention in the trade press and was later ranked highly for backbone performance by Keynote Systems. An early enterprise contract with Apple gave the company a valuable customer reference and supported its pursuit of additional large accounts. The company expanded its management and financing base as venture investors became involved. Sam Sanderson, formerly chief executive of Rogers Cable, took over as chief executive, and Bob Murphy, previously chief financial officer of Williams Communications, became chief financial officer. Roberts left in 1997, while Gladney transitioned to vice chairman and ended his association with the company by 1999. Savvis was acquired by Bridge Information Systems in 1999. After operating within Bridge for about a year, it was separated as an independent public company and completed its NASDAQ IPO in February 2000 under the symbol SVVS. Savvis used acquisitions to build a broad enterprise-services platform. WAM!NET, acquired in 2002, contributed content-management and media application services. The 2003 acquisition of Intel Online Services' hosting operations and customer base strengthened its managed-hosting business. In 2004, Savvis purchased assets of Cable & Wireless America, including 15 data centers, customers associated with Exodus Communications, a Tier-1 internet backbone formerly associated with MCI, Digital Island's content delivery network, and a professional-services organization. The company renamed itself Savvis, Inc. in 2005 as it moved beyond network services toward global IT services. Savvis later sold its content delivery network business to Level 3 Communications in 2006. It continued international expansion with a Singapore data center in 2007 and a London data center in 2008. The acquisition of Fusepoint in 2010 added Canadian facilities in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Around this period, Savvis emphasized managed hosting, colocation, cloud infrastructure, networking, application support, security, and consulting for enterprises and government organizations. It also developed channel partnerships and entered a strategic initiative with Bharti Airtel in India. The company's history included several controversies. In 2004, a former security executive alleged that Savvis had solicited spam-related customers and generated significant revenue from them. Savvis subsequently cooperated with Spamhaus on anti-spam controls. In 2005, chief executive Robert A. McCormick resigned after an audit-committee investigation related to disputed corporate-card charges; associated litigation was settled in 2006. In 2009, lawsuits alleged that Savvis had improperly certified payment processors as compliant with credit-card security requirements, claims connected to alleged storage of unencrypted cardholder information. CenturyLink agreed to acquire Savvis in April 2011 for approximately $2.5 billion in cash and stock. After the acquisition, Savvis continued as a CenturyLink managed-hosting and technology-services operation. Its name changed to CenturyLink Technology Solutions in 2014, and the business was absorbed into CenturyLink's IT Services group in 2015. CenturyLink later became Lumen Technologies, leaving Savvis as a historical brand and operating lineage within Lumen's enterprise infrastructure business rather than an independently marketed company.
- 2015
Integrated into CenturyLink IT Services
[1]The former Savvis business was fully absorbed into CenturyLink's IT Services group.
- 2014
Renamed CenturyLink Technology Solutions
[1]The Savvis operating name was replaced by CenturyLink Technology Solutions.
- 2011
CenturyLink acquisition announced
[1]CenturyLink announced its approximately $2.5 billion acquisition of Savvis.
- 2010
Fusepoint acquired
[1]Savvis expanded in Canada through the purchase of Fusepoint.
- 2006
CDN business sold to Level 3
[1]Level 3 acquired Savvis's content delivery network business and related assets.
- 2005
Corporate name changed to Savvis, Inc.
[1]The company changed its name from Savvis Communications Corporation to Savvis, Inc. to reflect its broader IT-services scope.
- 2004
Cable & Wireless America assets acquired
[1]The transaction added data centers, hosting customers, backbone assets, CDN capabilities, and professional services.
- 2003
Intel Online Services hosting assets acquired
[1]Savvis acquired the hosting operation and customers of Intel Online Services.
- 2002
WAM!NET acquired
[1]The acquisition added content-management and media application-service capabilities.
- 2000
Initial public offering
[1]Savvis completed its IPO on NASDAQ under the ticker SVVS.
Products and positioning
Savvis positioned itself as a global enterprise infrastructure and managed IT-services provider, combining carrier-grade networking, data-center capacity, managed hosting, cloud computing, and consulting for business and government customers.
Enterprise infrastructure
Managed hosting
Savvis managed dedicated and hosted computing environments for enterprise and government customers. The service portfolio incorporated data-center operations, network connectivity, infrastructure monitoring, application support, and related professional services. Its hosting capabilities were expanded through the Intel Online Services transaction and the Cable & Wireless America asset acquisition.
Data-center services
Colocation
Savvis provided enterprise colocation within a global data-center network spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Customers could place servers and other infrastructure in professionally managed facilities with power, cooling, physical security, network connectivity, and operational support.
Cloud computing
Cloud infrastructure services
The company developed cloud-focused infrastructure and hosting offerings for organizations seeking managed computing capacity. In 2011, Savvis launched a global alliances program for channel partners and received recognition in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for cloud infrastructure-as-a-service and web hosting.
Network services
Content delivery network
Savvis operated a content delivery network obtained through the Digital Island assets included in the Cable & Wireless America transaction. The CDN business was later divested to Level 3 Communications in 2006, including related network assets, customer contracts, and intellectual property.
Information-technology services
IT consulting and professional services
Savvis supplied consulting and professional services around network architecture, hosting, data centers, applications, cloud adoption, and enterprise infrastructure. These capabilities helped differentiate the company from a basic connectivity provider and supported its repositioning as a global IT-services business.
Controversies
2009
Lawsuits concerning payment-card security certifications
Multiple lawsuits alleged that Savvis improperly certified payment processors as compliant with credit-card security standards. The claims included allegations that unencrypted cardholder information had been stored before a reported security incident.
2005
Corporate-card dispute involving the chief executive
American Express brought a claim involving disputed charges on then-chief executive Robert A. McCormick's corporate card. Following an audit-committee investigation, Savvis accepted McCormick's resignation. The associated litigation was settled in 2006.
2004
Allegations of support for spam-related customers
A former operations-security manager released internal documents alleging that Savvis solicited spam operators and generated substantial monthly revenue from them. The publicity led Savvis to work with Spamhaus on identifying and addressing spam-related abuse.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Savvis Alliances Program
Global
Savvis launched a cloud-oriented alliances program intended to work with channel partners and extend distribution of its managed hosting and cloud services.
Outcome. The program formed part of Savvis's broader cloud expansion before the company was acquired by CenturyLink.
Brand decisions
2014
Rebranded as CenturyLink Technology SolutionsStrategyBackground
Savvis had operated under the CenturyLink umbrella since the 2011 acquisition.
Action taken
CenturyLink replaced the Savvis operating name with CenturyLink Technology Solutions.
Aftermath
The business was brought into closer alignment with the CenturyLink parent brand before full integration into its IT Services group.
2011
Accepted CenturyLink acquisitionM&ABackground
Savvis sought to scale its managed hosting, cloud, and data-center platform while CenturyLink sought to add enterprise IT infrastructure capabilities.
Action taken
Savvis agreed to be acquired by CenturyLink for cash and stock, with shareholders receiving cash and CenturyLink shares.
Aftermath
Savvis became a CenturyLink business, was renamed CenturyLink Technology Solutions in 2014, and was integrated into CenturyLink's IT Services group in 2015.
Transaction value. Approximately $2.5 billion (Announced April 2011)
2006
Divested the content delivery network businessStrategyBackground
Savvis owned CDN capabilities obtained through the Digital Island assets.
Action taken
Savvis agreed to sell its CDN services business to Level 3 Communications, including network assets, customer contracts, and intellectual property.
Aftermath
The divestiture narrowed Savvis's portfolio while retaining its broader hosting, colocation, cloud, and IT-services businesses.
Transaction value. $135 million (2006)
2005
Broadened the corporate identity beyond network servicesStrategyBackground
Savvis had expanded into hosting, data centers, content delivery, and professional services through acquisitions.
Action taken
The company changed its name from Savvis Communications Corporation to Savvis, Inc.
Aftermath
The change signaled a repositioning toward global information-technology services.
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