Big Data Firm XL Marketing Buys Intela

Big data-driven marketing and CRM firm XL Marketing Corp. has acquired the data and email services company Intela LLC , and will merge Intela's data and customer acquisition businesses with its own UK subsidiary, Virtuoso Advertising.

The newly combined entity, based in London, will be known as XL Marketing Europe (XLME). Meanwhile Intela's email business, based in Colorado, USA, will be merged into XLM Corp.'s Email Services division.

XL Marketing was founded by David A. Steinberg (pictured) and John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer and Pepsi-Cola,in 2007, is headquartered in New York City with offices in Tampa, FL; London and Bristol, UK; and Hyderabad, India; and has more than 500 employees worldwide.

Jim Mansfield, founder and CEO of Intela will become Chief Strategy Officer for XL Marketing Corp., and will manage the data and email operations in Boulder. Ben Harvey, founder and CEO of Virtuoso Advertising - acquired by XL in March 2012 - becomes President of XLME and Intela COO Toby Harris becomes the new firm's COO, both reporting to XL Marketing Corp COO Steven Gerber.

Mansfield says the deal will give his firm's advertisers access to 'new distribution channels, higher quality data and additional email services.' Steinberg, who is Chairman and CEO of XL Marketing, says the deal 'enhances our portfolio of services, strengthens our Analytics capabilities, expands our geographic footprint and accelerates our evolution into a world-class Big Data company.'

Web sites: www.xlmarketing.com , www.intela.com and www.xlmeurope.com .