VBN TO BECOME ENGAGE CANADA
By Adnews Staff
Online marketing solutions provider Engage Inc. of Andover, Massachusetts is entering the Canadian market. The company announced a definitive agreement, valued at US$5 million, to purchase substantially all the assets of the Toronto-based Internet advertising network Virtual Billboard Network, a division of Gallop & Gallop Advertising. The all-stock deal is expected to close in early-June. Once the deal has closed VBN will become Engage Canada and Tom Rothfels, VBN's chief executive officer, will take on the role of general manger. The VBN network, which includes 150 Canadian Web sites, will be rolled into a new division of Engage called Engage Mediaa. Engage Canada's Canadian sales team will then represent products and services from all divisions including Engage Business Media, Engage Enabling Technologies, AdKnowledge and I/PRO. VBN and Engage have previously worked together in the past. Commenting on the announcement, Rothfels said, "VBN's past relationship with Engage is the natural foundation for our evolution into Engage Canada." Engage Inc. is an operating company of CMGI, Inc. Additional operating companies of CMGI include: AdForce, Activate, NaviSite, MyWay.com and uBid.com.