WebTrends Acquires ClickShift, Expanding Platform for Online Marketing Optimization

December 4, 2006; 06:45 AM
WebTrends Inc., the market leader for web analytics and Marketing Performance Management solutions, today at Search Engine Strategies announced its acquisition of ClickShift, an innovator in online advertising optimization. The acquisition brings leading edge technology and deep industry expertise to WebTrends, with ClickShift employees joining the company including its MIT-educated core development team and co-founders, John Rodkin and Leo Chang. Rodkin and Chang, who previously founded Flyswat, subsequently acquired by NBCi, will continue to lead the team out of its current San Bruno, Calif. facility. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“As WebTrends evaluated its strategic options to offer our customers a leading online marketing optimization solution, it quickly became clear that marketers have many unmet needs in this area,” said Greg Drew, CEO and president, WebTrends. “With ClickShift, we’ve found a perfect blend of deep online advertising expertise and innovative technology that solves fundamental challenges facing marketers. We’re extremely pleased to welcome such a talented team to the WebTrends family.”

The acquisition will strengthen the company’s existing product family, WebTrends Marketing Lab, with the addition of WebTrends Dynamic Search™. Details of the new solution will be unveiled worldwide to online marketers, industry experts and journalists at invitation-only launch events in New York City on December 11^th and in London on December 14^th.

For invitation details or information on the launch events, please contact the listed media representatives or email launch@webtrends.com.

“From day one, our vision has been to revolutionize the way marketers manage and profitably grow their complex online marketing campaigns,” said John Rodkin, co-founder and CEO of ClickShift. “WebTrends is the ideal partner for our revolutionary solution as its Marketing Performance Management strategy perfectly matches our mission. WebTrends has the resources, experience and expansive customer base to introduce more marketers to the power of true marketing optimization.”

“Our goal is to continually enhance the value customers derive from our Marketing Performance Management solutions. ClickShift exemplifies the type of cutting edge marketing solution that we evaluate for strategic acquisitions and partnerships to build customer value,” said Tore Steen, vice president of corporate development, WebTrends.

About WebTrends Inc.

WebTrends (www.webtrends.com) is the leading provider of web analytics software and on-demand solutions for web-smart customers including General Mills, IKEA, Microsoft, Reuters and Ticketmaster. With WebTrends Marketing Lab, the company has expanded its comprehensive analytics platform to offer on-the-fly data exploration and customer targeting solutions fueling relationship marketing. Thousands of enterprises have chosen WebTrends solutions and consulting services to accurately prove and improve their business and marketing results.