Mediaplex Seeks Larger Market, Buys Adware

Advertising technology company Adware Systems Inc., a provider of media management applications, from The Interpublic Group.

Under Monday’s agreement, Mediaplex will acquire all outstanding shares of AdWare in exchange for approximately $27.3 million in cash and stock. AdWare will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mediaplex.

Mediaplex touts the purchase of Adware as a chance for the company to offer its agency and advertiser clients a “complete online-to-offline media-management solution.”

Mediaplex also called the purchase of Adware, which offers a suite of capabilities ranging from agency accounting to media buying, a chance to move from being a provider to the Internet-only advertising arena to one also serving the far larger, total advertising marketplace.

“In conjunction with AdWare, Mediaplex now has the technology to manage media intelligently across print, radio, TV, billboards, the Web and wireless devices,” said Gregory R. Raifman, chairman and chief executive officer of Mediaplex. “This builds on Mediaplex’s proven ability to integrate corporate information, such as real-time product pricing or availability data, directly into a Web or wireless ad campaign,” Raifman said.

As part of the transaction, Mediaplex/AdWare executed a five-year services agreement under which the McCann-Erickson agency, a subsidiary of The Interpublic Group, will continue as an AdWare client. At the same time, Mediaplex/AdWare will continue to offer its services to other agencies and partners throughout the industry.