CognitiveData of LR purchased by Merkle.(TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTERS)

Merkle Inc., one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing database marketing agencies, has bought CognitiveData Inc. of Little Rock, a marketing technology company.

As part of the deal, CognitiveData will remain a separate brand and will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merkle.

Both companies are privately held, and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Merkle is a top-25 ranked national marketing services agency based on revenue, according to an April 2009 report in Advertising Age magazine. Merkle reported revenue of $211 million last year.

CognitiveData, which ended 2008 with $19 million in revenue, has been recognized in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, and its growth earned it a mention in the Inc. 500 rankings in both 2007 and 2008. The acquisition brings about .50 employees from locations in Little Rock, New York and Chicago under Merkle and effectively expands the company's national footprint.

Merkle, headquartered near Baltimore, in Columbia, Md., employs about 1,000 in its Boston, Chicago, Denver, Little Rock, Philadelphia, Seattle and Hagerstown, Md., locations.

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