Equifax Inc., an information solutions provider and the largest credit reporting agency in the United States, announced its acquisition of Naviant Inc., a provider of online and offline marketing tools, for $135 million yesterday.
The acquisition is expected to have an immediate financial benefit for Equifax, Atlanta. Full-year 2002 revenue for Naviant, Boca Raton, FL, is expected to be about $60 million.
Naviant has an e-mail database of more than 100 million unique permission-based addresses and a database of 38 million postal addresses.
Equifax said the deal helps it in several areas, including accelerating growth in its marketing services business, extending the company's reach into new industries, providing additional services to existing customers and providing a new distribution channel for Equifax's consumer business.
“The combination of Naviant's unique e-mail database with Equifax's extensive marketing data and technology clearly positions Equifax as the pre-eminent leader in the e-marketing field,” Equifax chairman/CEO Thomas F. Chapman said. “Naviant accelerates our strategy of growth through the enrichment of our data assets and strategic acquisitions.”
Naviant CEO Michael Brauser will continue to oversee daily operations of the company.
Naviant's acquisition by Equifax follows a string of acquisitions it made earlier this year. Last month Naviant said it would acquire majority interest in the 24/7 Mail e-mail marketing division of 24/7 Real Media Inc. The purchase price of the majority stake is up to $4 million, with $1 million paid in cash at closing, $1 million payable in installments over the next nine months and up to $2 million payable quarterly over three years contingent on future gross profit.
Naviant in March acquired Deerfield Beach, FL-based loyalty marketer Sweepsclub.com, and Data One Marketing, Boca Raton, FL, in February.
