MarketingVOX: Oft-controversial adware firm 180solutions has acquired Hotbar, which distributes electronic wallpaper, emoticons and other content via a toolbar, and the merged company will be renamed Zango, after the 180solutions consumer brand, reports the Seattle Times. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The merger is "about growth and momentum. Together, we have a wonderful library of things we can monetize through advertising. What they (Hotbar) do adds diversity and strength and skill to that," said Zango EVP York Baur.

"We've essentially doubled our network and the amount of inventory available to our advertisers. And by bringing our search-style targeting to that inventory, it allows people to make use of that in a very high-ROI way," Baur is quoted by ClickZ as saying.

The new company will offer more than 100,000 pieces of free content to a base of more than 30 million users, with some 150,000 people signing up each day, according to Baur. Zango will acquire 83 of Hotbar's 140 employees; none of Zango's 150 employees is expected to be affected.

After the merger,180solutions will cease to exist; its advertiser-facing network, Metrics Direct, will keep its name for now but will eventually be brought under the Zango brand.

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