DoubleClick to offer data management

DoubleClick, a pioneer in online marketing automation, is branching out into the data management arena and has purchased CSC Advanced Database Solutions to jump-start this effort.

Best known for its software and services that let marketers post and track their advertising campaigns, DoubleClick now wants to help those customers work with the data they collect from their campaigns.

DoubleClick says it will combine the resources of its current Abacus offering with CSC’s products to create a single source for clients who want to manage their customer and prospecting data.

Forrester Research has published a brief about the acquisition, calling it a “smart, ambitious move.” However, analyst Eric Schmitt noted that the buyout could pose partnership and positioning challenges for DoubleClick.

“DoubleClick now plays in two traditionally complementary industries: marketing services and packaged software,” Schmitt writes. “This will constrain its ability to partner in these areas – and spell the end of the budding relationship between DoubleClick’s Ensemble software group and service provider BeNOW.” He adds that: “DoubleClick plans to confine its services offering to the catalog industry.”

Schmitt argues that the Abacus unit and its customers will benefit greatly from the addition of database design, management and data processing services.

Financial terms of the cash deal were not disclosed.