Frontbridge Technologies

About Frontbridge Technologies

Frontbridge Technologies Inc. carved out a significant niche in the secure messaging services market before its strategic acquisition. The company originated as Bigfish Communications in 2000 and was later steered by President and CEO Steve Jillings, a New Zealand-born serial entrepreneur with a track record of leading multiple tech ventures to successful exits. Jillings' extensive experience in building and scaling businesses was instrumental in Frontbridge's growth, culminating in its acquisition by Microsoft in a deal reported to be valued at $200 million in 2005.

The firm specialized in providing managed services that addressed corporate e-mail security, compliance, and availability. Its business model was centered on a subscription-based, outsourced service that required no upfront capital investment from its clients, which included over 3,100 businesses globally. This model allowed companies to offload the complexities of managing messaging risks, such as spam, viruses, and regulatory compliance with mandates like Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA. Frontbridge's core offering, the "Total Message Management" suite, was a comprehensive solution covering message security, compliance through archiving and reporting, and continuity via disaster recovery. This service was delivered through a global network of load-balanced, redundant data centers, a key operational strength that guaranteed high availability.

In July 2005, Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Frontbridge, a transaction that was finalized in August of the same year. Following the acquisition, Frontbridge became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft and was integrated into the Exchange Server Group. Its services were subsequently rebranded as Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services, forming a key part of Microsoft's strategy to offer integrated on-premise and hosted security solutions for its enterprise customers.