CMG to Acquire Accipiter
CMG Information Services in Andover, MAsigned a binding letter of intent to purchase Web ad management solutionscompany Accipiter Inc. in a dealvalued at $35 million.
CMG Information Services in Andover, MA signed a binding letter of intent to purchase Web ad management solutions company Accipiter Inc. in a deal valued at $35 million.
Raleigh, NC-based Accipiter will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CMG, reporting to Paul Schaut, CEO of Engage Technologies, a CMG company focused on 1:1 Internet marketing solutions. Accipiter will ultimately be merged with Engage, CMG said, creating a single, integrated company focused on developing high-value Web advertising and marketing solutions.
Chris Evans will remain CEO of Accipiter, reporting to Paul Schaut. CMG officials said the transaction involves $35 million in CMG stock; further financial details were not disclosed.
“Bringing Accipiter’s best-of-breed ad serving technology and customers together with Engage Technologies’ real-time targeting applications makes real sense and will add real value to interactive marketing efforts,” said CMG Chairman and CEO David Wetherell.
Wetherell said that Accipiter technology is serving ads on over 1,000 Web sites including MSN, Digital Cities, MSNBC, CNET, ZD Net, BBC, Prodigy, WebTV, Lycos, and Tripod.
Evans said in a statement: “The Engage and Accipiter combination represents a significant step forward on delivering the promise of Internet advertising. By integrating with Engage Technologies’ highly advanced user profiling database, Accipiter will introduce optimally integrated behavior-based targeting solutions for high-traffic Web sites.”
Accipiter’s principal offering is AdManager, a system for managing, serving, targeting, and reporting on Web advertising.
Engage recently announced Engage.Knowledge, a suite of services and enabling technology that leverage its behavioral database of anonymous Web visitors for use in real-time targeting applications and global Web market research.
Working with the advanced profiling techniques from Engage, Accipiter AdManager can request user profiles from Engage Knowledge as ads are being delivered in real-time, and target these ads to particular demographic and interest groups based on their individual interests.
CMG Information Services invests in and integrates advanced Internet, interactive media, and database management technologies. Its Internet Group is made up of six majority owned subsidiary companies, including: Planet Direct, NaviSite Internet Services, Engage Technologies, ADSmart, InfoMation, and The Password.
