Oregonian Article
Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive
EasyStreet Online Services – one of Oregon’s most enduring Internet service providers – has changed its name to reflect its new owner’s growing ambitions in cloud computing.
Founded in 1995, the Beaverton company was a pioneer among local ISPs. Two years ago it acquired Vancouver-based Infinity Internet, which traces its roots to an even earlier local ISP, Pacifier Online.
As Internet service became the domain of large telecommunications companies, EasyStreet shifted to emphasize business services. It increasingly focused on cloud computing in its centralized data centers in Beaverton and downtown Portland.
Its new name, Atmosera, blends “atmosphere” and “era.”
The moniker is meant to evoke the company’s focus on the “private cloud,” with servers protected behind a firewall for clients seeking an additional degree of security. Atmosera’s clients include hospitals and others who are required to meet regulatory standards for online privacy.
A New York private equity firm called Seaport Capital acquired EasyStreet in 2013. Jon Thomsen, who took over as chief executive last year when EasyStreet co-founder Rich Bader retired, said the new ownership has provided the capital for Atmosera to pursue clients nationally. Thomsen said he’s replaced most of the executive team and plans to pursue clients from small businesses to large companies with up to 2,500 workers.
The company still has “thousands and thousands” of residential customers, Thomsen said, and will continue to serve them under the EasyStreet brand name. But he said the company no longer accepts new customers for home Internet service.
Atmosera has 50 employees, all but five at its Beaverton headquarters.
— Mike Rogoway