Rackspace's acquisition of Webmail.us is part of the company's investment to transform traditional IT functions into consumable services via the Web. Rackspace says it plans to offer a portfolio of hosted IT services that offer more reliability and better value than traditional IT. The Web host has already made a seamless expansion into the mail industry, which it says is the first step in giving businesses a chance to solve a persistent and growing challenge with a better solution.

"Messaging and collaboration are Rackspace's first major steps in expanding our product portfolio to include hosted IT services," says Lew Moorman, senior VP of corporate strategy and product development for Rackspace Managed Hosting. "Webmail.us has developed a world-class product set and shares our deep commitment to customer service. We are natural partners and we will collaborate to strengthen and complement our existing mail portfolio."

Rackspace and Webmail.us say they will cooperate to create innovative new products focused on enterprise-class mail functionality. The companies have previously collaborated to offer Rackspace's current global messaging portfolio, including Noteworthy Managed Mail. The Webmail.us company headquarters will remain in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Rackspace announced last week it conducted a survey which reveals that environmental responsibility is a growing concern for hosting customers.