Business Objects Acquires Firstlogic

| Tim Parry

Business intelligence solution provider Business Objects agreed to acquire privately held data-quality software and services provider Firstlogic on Feb. 8. Business Objects will pay approximately $69 million in an all-cash transaction.

Local Search: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em…

| Brian Quinton

As an online search vertical, local is still hot. In fact, search providers having been turning the flame up for about a year now. Among the big players, the name of the game is add-ons: Yahoo! has added a slew of user-generated reviews and recommendations. Google announced in January that its Google Local service would be available to Blackberry users. Throw in the Internet Yellow Pages like YellowPages.com and SuperPages, and you

Talbots, Not Liz Claiborne, Buys J. Jill

| Mark Del Franco

In a turn of events befitting a soap opera, Hingham, MA-based The Talbots, and not Liz Claiborne, purchased Quincy, MA-based cataloger/retailer J. Jill for $517 million or $24.05 per share.

Responsys Acquires INBOX Marketing

| Tim Parry

Email and lifecycle marketing solution provider Responsys announced Feb. 3 that it acquired INBOX Marketing, a San Francisco-based agency that specializes in the strategic optimization of email marketing platforms.

Redcats USA Looking to Acquire More Titles

| John Fischer

Although its U.S. spokespeople declined comment, Paris-based retailer Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) is said to be interested in adding to its line of catalogs for its Redcats USA division.

Lab Safety Supply Acquires Rand Materials Handling Equipment

| Tim Parry

The Lab Safety Supply subsidiary of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies giant W.W. Grainger announced on Jan. 31 that it is acquiring the assets of Rand Materials Handling Equipment for approximately $16 million.

Home Depot acquires Hughes Supply

| Jim Tierney

In its largest purchase since it was founded in 1978, Atlanta-based Home Depot acquired Hughes Supply, a $4.42 billion distributor of construction materials

The Second Time’s a Charm: Advice on Prospect Reuses

| Todd Miller

If lately you have observed poor performance among your co-op database balance models, the older, lower-dollar portions of your continuation lists, or the tightest possible selects from marginal lists, it is time you consider prospecting reuses.