• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 2, 2009

Advertising and media data processing giant Donovan Data Systems has gotten another big piece of the biggest buyer of media in the world, WPP Group. WPP's Grey and ghg (formerly Grey Healthcare Group) have converted their workflow management, corporate accounting and cost accounting systems to Donovan, which already manages other parts of WPP in the U.S., including GroupM, Young & Rubicam, J. Walter Thompson, and Hennessey, Hill & Knowlton and Team Detroit.

Grey will install Donovan's BrandOcean workflow management tool, as well as its corporate accounting and cost accounting applications. Grey, which was acquired by WPP in 2005, previously handled those systems in-house.

It was unclear whether Grey held a review of competing data processing systems, but Donovan's win comes as it is facing aggressive competition from well capitalized industry newcomer MediaBank.

The win also comes weeks after Donovan restructured its operations, laying off as many as 100 people, due to lower billings-related fees from its roster of agency clients.