• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 4, 2011

On the heels of buying 2D barcode developer Jagtag in July, Augme Technologies Thursday announced acquiring all the assets of mobile marketing firm HipCricket for $44.5 million in cash and stock. The deal also calls for a year-long earn-out payment valued at up to $27.5 million, to be paid in cash or stock. Augme plans to take on all of Hipcricket’s employees once the transaction is closed.

"We expect the complementary resources of Augme, JAGTAG and Hipcricket, when combined, will allow Augme to provide the most powerful best-of-breed mobile marketing solutions to global brand name leaders, backed by strong intellectual property portfolios, including patented technology and software-as-a-service technology platforms," said Augme CEO Paul Arena, in a statement.

Hipcricket, whose marketing services span SMS text messaging, mobile barcodes, applications and an ad network, executed its 100,000 campaign this spring. It has more than 300 clients including Macy's, MillerCoors, Nestle, KFC, Simon Properties.

Publicly-traded Augme operates the Ad Life mobile advertising platform, allowing marketers and agencies to plan, create and run marketing programs across devices through 2D and UPC codes, SMS text, and image recognition technologies. It also provides mobile couponing, custom application development, and data tracking and analytics.