• November 22, 2005

Japanese Web portal company Livedoor said Monday it had purchaesd Innovation Interactive, parent company of search engine marketing firm 360i and search engine marketing software company SearchIgnite. The deal, which closed Friday, will give the rapidly growing Livedoor a presence in the United States, while also providing Innovation with a platform for international expansion.

Livedoor, the largest Internet service provider in Japan, recently has amassed a collection of Internet and media companies. For example, last year, Livedoor acquired ValueClick Japan; Livedoor also recently acquired Chinese portal MyRice.com. Livedoor also recently acquired a stake in Nippon Broadcasting System.

The Innovation companies, including search firm 360i, will continue to operate as in the past, said an Innovation spokeswoman. 360i's clients include Forbes.com and Office Depot. In addition to 360i and SearchIgnite, Livedoor is gaining the company's direct and contextual marketing business, and a portfolio of direct navigation domains.

-- Wendy Davis