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.
