Neustar buys Australian domain registration company

Sterling-based technology company Neustar said Thursday it bought Bombora Technologies Pty Ltd., an Australian domain registration company, for $118.5 million.

Bombora provides registration services for a number of top-level domains [TLD], including .au, .melbourne, .sydney.

Neustar said the acquisition expands Neustar's registry services, which operates the .biz, .us, and .co domains, among others.

“With this acquisition, Neustar continues to gather momentum as a global leader in launching and operating TLDs.” said Lisa Hook, president and CEO of Neustar.

Neustar said the acquisition is expected to contribute $1.1 million of operating income in 2015.

During the past two years, Bombora’s revenue grew at a compounded annual rate of 12 percent to $20.6 million.

Neustar also released financial results for the quarter ended June 30. Second-quarter revenue increased by 8 percent to $256.8 million when compared to the same quarter last year. Net income was up by 22 percent to $45.1 million and net income per share rose 31 percent to 80 cents per share, during the same time period.

Neustar provides cloud-based information services, which allow marketing and IT security professionals to promote and protect their businesses.

Neustar has been the longtime holder of the lucrative number portability contract, which helps U.S. cell phone customers keep their phone numbers when they switch phones or carriers. The contract accounted for about half of Neustar’s revenues, but the company recently lost it after Federal Communications Commission recommended the contract be awarded to Telcordia Technologies. According to the Washington Business Journal, Neustar will hold the contract until September 2016, but has sued the FCC over its recommendation, saying the order was unlawful.