Lyceum, an Internet service provider formed in 1992, will operate under the name Lyceum Internet Powered by PSINet. Lyceum focuses on small businesses and promotes itself as the first in Atlanta to offer Digital Subscriber Line technology, dedicated Internet access provided over traditional copper telephone lines. PSINet decided to target Atlanta and small business. Rick Frizalone, PSINet president for the Southeast United States, said Lyceum made an attractive acquisition because the company is profitable and strictly focused on business customers. Over the past six months, PSINet has acquired 31 Internet service providers on four continents.
Lyceum marks only the fifth acquisition in North America.
They've grown organically and through acquisition, but most of the growth has been organic. PSINet is in the process of building a data center in Atlanta that will direct Internet traffic and offer Web-hosting services. Crawley said Lyceum will leave its office on North Druid Hills Road to integrate itself with PSINet. Crawley founded Lyceum in 1992 as a consulting business that helped businesses set up e-mail systems and security firewalls on their servers. In 1995, the company transformed itself into an Internet service provider.