• by Ross Fadner , June 29, 2004

Yet another sign of M&A activity was further underscored Tuesday when email marketing services provider Return Path, Inc. announced its acquisition of permission-based email acquisition and sampling services provider NetCreations, Inc. from Seat Pagine Gialle unit Consodata Group Ltd. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Return Path said the combined company will have a client base of 1,500 U.S. marketers, 500 Internet Service Providers and Web site data partners, 650 channel partners, and a registered user base of 41 million active consumers. NetCreations will become a division of Return Path; NetCreations President Michael Mayor will continue to head the company and will join Return Path's Board of Directors.

"Joining forces combines email deliverability and performance with our counterpart in email acquisition, providing clients of both companies with access to thought leaders in email performance across list building, list quality, email deliverability, and best practices," said Return Path CEO Matt Blumberg in a statement.

Return Path said that the combined company aims to help clients improve the performance of their customer acquisition and retention email programs. NetCreations will cover list management, rental, market research, and list quality solutions; its list-building and rental products will be combined with Return Path products to ensure that opt-in emails are successfully delivered to customers' inboxes.

NetCreations was formerly part of Seat Pagine Gialle-owned Consodata Group, most of whose operating units were acquired by Acxiom Corporation earlier this year.