• April 6, 2010

Market research firm NPD Group Tuesday announced an alliance with technology research outfit In-Stat on the heels of In-Stat being purchased by its management from former parent company Reed Elsevier. The buyout was led by In-Stat CEO Mark Kirstein. Under the new partnership, NPD said it will provide "financial, strategic and other support" to In-Stat.

The company added that In-Stat's focus on the mobile Internet and digital entertainment industries would complement its consumer tracking services overlapping with those areas. NPD covers commercial and consumer technology, wireless, software and entertainment, among other sectors. Financial details of the companies' arrangement were not disclosed. --Mark Walsh