Melissa Data has acquired M1 Data and Analytics from Metro One Telecommunications Inc. for an undisclosed price.
M1 is a marketing list wholesaler and data services provider with an in-depth telecom database that includes daily-updated directory assistance information. The acquisition of these M1 assets will make Melissa Data’s new mover phone and address information more robust and up to date.
“M1 has one of the freshest sources for telephone and address information,” said Greg Brown, marketing director at Melissa Data. “It’s the same type of information that is given to 411 providers, so it’s updated daily. We’ve always offered that on a reseller basis but wanted to bring that in-house.
“They also have a matching algorithm called SmartSearch,” he added, “which is especially valuable for verifying customer information because it allows an exact match or close match for a name and address.”
The more current data provided by M1 is expected to reduce campaign costs and improve ROI for Melissa customers.
“It shows you where the market is,” Brown added. “There’s value out there for companies that have some cash and can acquire some very interesting assets. It was something we wanted to pull the trigger on at this time because we see business increasing with the recession; people are being more cost-conscious and looking at ways to achieve immediate ROI, and they can do that by maintaining databases.”
Key M1 employees are staying on through the acquisition, and Melissa will continue to serve M1 customers. Brown said that the two companies saw extensive overlap in the types of customers they served and that it should prove to be a smooth transition for them. Melissa Data has worked with a diverse range of companies, including Frito-Lay and Custom House Publishers.
