Envision, New Media Advantage merge

Envision Technology Advisors of Providence has merged with Providence's NewMedia Advantage, and Newport-based Bluestreak has acquired intellectual property and customer lists from Engage Inc.'s AdKnowledge of Andover, Mass.

For Envision, a technology consulting company, acquiring a Web site development and marketing firm such as NewMedia means the company can follow through with its new virtual office technologies.

"We're developing a new technology here that allows a person to get faxes, e-mails, voice mails and real-time access to company data from remote areas," said Envision President Todd Knapp.

Ideally, said Knapp, "the joining of these two businesses will serve to bridge the gap between resources commonly available in the office and today's mobile business person."

He said Envision had been looking to acquire a Web development company for some time, and, although this venture is technically an acquisition, "it was intended to just bring two really good companies together."

Bluestreak, an online marketing technology company, announced that it hopes to solidify its position as a leading third party ad server with its acquisition. The company provides advertisers, Web publishers and agencies with technologies to assist in creating, managing and measuring transactive ad content in real time.

"Engage AdKnowledge's market offerings are in direct alignment with Bluestreak's vision and strategy for the future of online advertising," said Annette Tonti, chairwoman of Bluestreak.

For Engage the sale is a significant step for its plan to move into a software-only field, said Mark Horan, Engage's director of corporate communications.

"We think the software part of the company, which is content management for marketing, is something we to which we want to make sure we are devoting all our resources," he said, "rather than shift resources to what is substantially a different business."

In response to how such acquisitions in the technology field are occurring given the economic climate, Knapp said focusing on clients is the most important element of success.

"We've kind of managed to defy the standard right now," he said.