Harte-Hanks Buys Aberdeen Group

US-based direct and targeted marketing company Harte-Hanks, Inc. has agreed to acquire technology researcher AberdeenGroup, Inc. for an undisclosed sum.

Both firms' Boards have approved the transaction, which should be completed by the end of September.

Boston, MA-based AberdeenGroup produces reports based on primary research and benchmarking data from more than 25,000 tracked companies, organised around 17 business areas or 'channels'. Channels are focused on technology applications for retail and financial services, sales and marketing, human resources, service, supply chain management and procurement, and other key areas.

Offices and analysts will remain in Boston. Harte-Hanks has two other locations in eastern Massachusetts, data quality software and database hosting at Billerica and print-on-demand and marketing fulfilment capabilities at East Bridgewater.

Gary Skidmore, Corporate Officer and Senior VP of Harte-Hanks, Inc. said there were 'opportunities for Aberdeen analysts to leverage our Ci Technology Database, which now tracks technology infrastructure, business profiles and technology purchase plans at 680,000 locations in North America, South America and Europe – expanding their base globally for research.' Skidmore also sees Aberdeen's market intelligence will assist Harte-Hanks' clients in their marketing, and has significant growth opportunities of its own.

Aberdeen's President and CEO Jamie Bedard comments: 'During the past three years, Aberdeen has transformed and refined a new research model, with demonstrable success and traction in the market. The time is ideal to continue our growth, offer new research products, expand our research base geographically, and join forces with a leading provider of research-based information technology marketing solutions in Harte-Hanks.' Bedard will serve as MD of AberdeenGroup within Harte-Hanks.

Harte-Hanks Shoppers is North America's largest owner, operator and distributor of shopper publications, with shoppers that are zoned into more than 1,100 separate editions with more than 13 million circulation each week in California and Florida. The firm is online at www.harte-hanks.com . AberdeenGroup's web site is at www.aberdeen.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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