Cox to Grow Hotel Networking Business Through Blueprint RF Buy

**Editor’s Note: Please click here for a recap of the biggest channel-impacting merger and acquisition news from July.**

Cox Communications has acquired Blueprint RF, a managed services provider (MSP) serving major hotel brands and hotel properties across the United States.

Georgia-based Blueprint RF is an approved provider for U.S. hotel brands, which allows it to design, install, monitor and support wired and wireless network products and services for companies that own and operate hotels.

Cox’s Larry Steelman

Larry Steelman, Cox Business’ vice president of new business ventures, tells Channel Partners that Blueprint RF will function independently from Cox Business so there should be no impact on either the current Cox Business Agent Program or current Blueprint RF partners, which includes Cisco, Dell, HP and others.

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“To ensure continuity, the Blueprint RF leadership team will remain in place and continue to operate as they did prior to the acquisition,” Steelman said. “Cox Business will work with the Blueprint RF team over the next several months to capitalize on this growth opportunity and identify operational efficiencies that will help scale the business over the long term.”

Cox has a plan to invest “aggressively” to grow through core product development, network upgrades/expansion and strategic investments, partnerships and acquisitions, he said.

“This strategic acquisition allows Cox Business to expand its ability to provide a new array of managed solutions to hotel owners designed to enhance the in-hotel experience of their guests,” Steelman said. “In addition, Cox’s acquisition of Blueprint RF complements its existing expertise in the hospitality segment through its hospitality network, which currently provides a full suite of hotel-specific telecommunication, in-room entertainment and managed W-iFi solutions to large hotels, convention centers and arenas nationwide.”

“Cox and Blueprint RF share a commitment to delivering world-class customer service and industry-leading technologies,” said Ron Peterson, Blueprint RF’s co-founder and CEO. “By joining Cox, we’ll be better positioned to expand our existing products and service offerings to meet the industry’s managed network solutions needs today and far into the future.”

Earlier this summer, reports surfaced that Charter Communications was weighing a plan to acquire Cox, one of its rivals.

Last August, Cox Business announced it had realigned and enhanced its Agent Program to provide a more consistent experience for agents and master agents across all markets.