Hey, everyone,
I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you. Thru has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Boomi, the leader in AI-driven automation. This is a significant milestone for our team, our technology and most importantly, for you—our valued customers.
Lee Harrison
CEO/Founder of Thru
When we started Thru in 2002, we aimed to bring drag-and-drop functionality to file transfer. All the FTP clients were clumsy and laypersons could not use them. The term “cloud” was not mainstream, meaning it was not a foregone conclusion that CIOs and the audience for such products would trust the cloud. This is why we evolved not just once but many times in our 23-year history.
Today, Thru is the only contemporary cloud-native Managed File Transfer (MFT) platform. Getting here was not easy, nor did it come without costs. But sometimes you just know what to do.
A Shared Vision and Partnership
Even before I raised our first round of capital, I met Sergey Arutiunov, Thru’s CTO, and we clicked immediately. We were both driven to strive for excellence, having been part of the Studio Central project at storied supercomputing giant Silicon Graphics (SGI). Even today, Sergey and I have not lost that burning need to solve the most challenging file transfers.
For instance, in 2008, we faced the hurdle of long fat networks just as global outsourcing was keeping teams busy around the world. So we developed the Thru Global File Transfer Network and signed a multi-year global contract with NTT. Thru was the first globally deployed edge network for file transfer, with transfer engines installed in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Weathering the Storm
No one told us there would be a global financial meltdown. We solved the problem, but it was tough. Even giant corporations were hard-pressed to spend money, let alone take a chance on this new paradigm for data—the cloud. I recall being directly across the street at a prospective customer’s office in Manhattan when everyone was shocked and looking out the window as Lehman Brothers employees, boxes in hand, walked out as Lehman Brothers failed. No sale that day.
The Spark with Boomi
The flame was lit again when we were trying to correct data in the accounting system, and Boomi had an out-of-the-box plugin. Once I realized what Boomi was doing was solving the same problem we were for the same audience, I couldn’t wait to meet these guys. Gartner’s Benoit Lheureux was instrumental in our approach, so in 2010, we introduced the first public API for cloud MFT.
By 2012, it was time to pitch the integration platforms as a service community. I met and did my song and dance while attending Gartner’s Application Architecture, Development and Integration Summit (AADI) in Vegas in December that year. I pitched them all on how they would need a powerful, unlimited MFT front end for collecting large unstructured data sets to be parsed by their engines. I still have Chris McNabb’s business card.
Embracing the Power of Citizen Integration
It occurred to me that supporting these guys with citizen integrator tools was going to be big, and we wanted to be a part of it. Our customers quickly saw that with Thru, file transfer was faster, simpler and more efficient. We made it easier for them to get things done—and in turn, helped them succeed.
Evolving to Meet Enterprise Needs
In 2010, I saw the need for getting behind the firewall, and by 2012, the need for endpoint-to-endpoint ownership became clear. This approach not only enhanced security but also accelerated transfers. Recognizing the advantages of unstructured data handled by MFTaaS, I pitched integration platforms on this concept. Thru brought unlimited data ingestion and storage to these platforms, leading us to build connectors for them.
Boomi + Thru: A Powerful New Chapter
I always knew it would be Boomi, and I owe a great thanks to Steve Lucas, Boomi’s CEO, for seeing the value in what we’ve built. Thru and Boomi have found much success in our partnership, and both companies have grown our offerings.
I realized a few years ago when one of the bigger rivals was trying to acquire us that Thru needed a top-tier partner to finally achieve its potential. These legacy providers were blockers in the market. The enterprise buyer requires partners with staying power and deep, wide resources.
We never raised any institutional capital, only family and friends. Fighting the good fight, our customers showed us the light around every corner. Thanks for hanging in with us—you guys made it happen.
Looking Ahead
Our audience is the citizen integrator, and we will get there. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. We’ll be in touch with more updates as we move forward, and as always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Warmest regards,
Lee Harrison
CEO/Founder of Thru
