Return Path Acquires Habeas

Two prominent e-mail reputation management firms, Return Path and Habeas, joined forces through acquisition. Return Path said it signed a deal to acquire its competitor Habeas on August 6, and expects the transaction to close on August 18. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A consolidation of both companies allows the e-mail reputation management firm to better address the needs of e-mail senders, receivers, and consumers, according to the company. “It solidifies the quality of our reputation network,” said George Bilbrey, VP and general manager of Delivery Assurance Solutions at Return Path.

An integration process is still being determined, however Return Path plans to keep its Sender Score Certified whitelist product separate from Habeas’s SafeList offering. The two products may be offered to one another’s clients, though, said Bilbrey.

After the merger, Return Path will serve over 1,500 clients globally. The company is headquartered in New York City and has offices in Paris, London, Berlin, and Superior, Colorado. Return Path has about 150 employees, while Habeas has around 40 in its Mountain View, California offices.

A small number of staff will likely be let go as a result of the acquisition, though Bilbrey was unable to say how many that would be. “As with any business acquisition there will be some impact on employees. We’ve worked really hard to keep any terminations to an absolute minimum.”

He said the staff is a valuable part of the deal. “There are great people there. They really understand the deliverability space well, and that’s a rare commodity in this world.”