MarketingVOX: J.L. Halsey Corporation, best known as an email marketing services holding company, has acquired two firms to expand beyond email and strengthen its ability to serve mid-market clients, writes ClickZ.

J.L. Halsey bought web analytics firm ClickTracks for $7.7 million in cash and $2.9 million in common stock, and content management software provider Hot Banana for $1.9 million Canadian, in cash. In both cases, additional payments are forthcoming if targets are met.

The acquisitions may cost J.L. Halsey up to approximately $17.3 million in cash and stock with earn-out payments, writes DM News, which quotes Loren McDonald, CMO of J.L. Halsey, as saying, "We want to buy and build a platform where marketers could access all kinds of different marketing tools in one interface to make life easier for them."

"Lyris and EmailLabs was the first phase of our larger project to build up this platform," McDonald said. "ClickTracks and Hot Banana are the next phase, and there will be more to come down the road."

ClickTracks and Hot Banana will remain independent subsidiaries of Halsey. No layoffs or restructuring are planned.

Related stories:

- Having Bought Lyris, Halsey Now Buys EmailLabs

- Lyris to Be Acquired