IBM buys Internet marketing firm Silverpop

IBM on Thursday announced that it is buying Internet marketing firm Silverpop to enhance its portfolio of services for businesses out to target potential customers. The technology veteran did not disclose financial terms of the deal to acquire Atlanta-based Silverpop, which specializes in pinpointing marketing messages based on real-time online activities from Web surfing to mobile device use or social networking. “By engineering a solution that uniquely delivers personalization through automation, our team has solved one of the most complex challenges facing marketers today,” Silverpop chief executive Bill Nussey said in a release. Better targeted marketing translate into less annoying 'spam' messages, IBM reasoned. Silverpop and its easy-to-use tools will be added to IBM's suite of software offered as services in the Internet "cloud." “Now, nearly any marketing, commerce or customer service professional from any business will have the ability to deliver the kinds of personalized customer experiences that make a measurable impact on the brand experience and the bottom line," IBM industry cloud services general manager Craig Hayman said in a release. The take-over, if approved by regulators, was expected to be completed by mid-year.