Letter by SoftLayer Founder and CEO to SoftLayer customers, notifying them of the IBM acquisition

1. Hello.
I have some exciting news to share—we are proud to announce this morning that IBM and SoftLayer have
entered into a definitive agreement for IBM to acquire SoftLayer.
Eight years ago we founded SoftLayer to be the de facto platform for the Internet. It was the right platform at
the right time, and continues to be for the future. As the demand for cloud-centric services grows with no end
in sight, our platform provides the performance, flexibility, and control businesses need to capitalize on all the
cloud has to offer.
For more than a century IBM has been the de facto standard for business and technology innovation and
services. And when the company that created the industry standard for every business machine in the last
hundred years turned its attention to the next most important business machine – the cloud – they found
SoftLayer had built the platform that aligned with their vision.
IBM is a trusted supplier of enterprise cloud solutions – with over 9,000 successful cloud engagements with
proven experience and expertise in building and delivering enterprise class cloud environments to support
complex, mission critical workloads. SoftLayer’s innovative platform will complement and extend the IBM
portfolio, delivering new value and flexibility for customers.
Together, we can take our shared vision and values farther, faster. We can bring you more scale and power
than ever, with access to more data centers in more countries. And our capacity to innovate grows with the
guidance, resources, and support of the company that is the gold standard in business around the world.
Nothing will change for you in the foreseeable future. Until the transaction is closed, which is expected in the
third quarter, IBM and SoftLayer will continue to operate independently. Your SoftLayer account relationships
and support infrastructure will remain unchanged, and your existing sales and technical representatives will
continue to provide the support you need. At any time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your SoftLayer
team members.
After closing, SoftLayer will operate as a business unit within IBM, with the same team, services, and
commitment to delivering a superior cloud service and innovation that we have today, and the additional
resources and talent that IBM brings to bear.
As a founder, SoftLayer is more than a business to me. It’s exceptionally personal. I have long maintained
that the only reason we would join another company was if doing so protected and propelled our founding
vision and continuing mission. Joining IBM does exactly that, and I can’t wait for you to see all that we will be
able to do for you.
If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to talk to your individual SoftLayer contact or myself and
any member of my executive team.
Thanks for your business and your support,
Lance Crosby
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
SoftLayer