SALT LAKE CITY, UT (BRAIN)—3point5.com this week purchased Influence Technologies (ITI), creating a single source for online services including Web-based employee training and specialty sales programs. Backed by private investment, 3point5.com financed the acquisition with existing capital.
“Both 3point5.com and Influence Technologies have focused their efforts on providing much-needed services to Internet-savvy manufacturers and retailers. Pooling our resources and services will provide one-stop-shopping for companies,” said Duncan Robins, chief executive officer of 3point5.com.
Robins said the two companies have complementary knowledge. ITI specializes in online product catalogs, specialty sales programs and manages industry-specific Web marketplaces including BroForm.com. 3point5.com has focused on offering interactive online programs for retail sales training, but recently expanded into pro-purchase sites for customers as well.
Although both companies operated in the bike, outdoor and action sports markets, Robins said they shared only a handful of clients. He said the combined entity has the potential to increase business with existing “web-comfortable” clients. “Customers are looking more and more for a suite of solutions from one provider. We’re really strong in complementary areas though were growing more competitive. It made sense instead of fighting each other to join forces and help each other,” Robins said.
3point5.com intends to operate ITI, including BroForm.com, in its current form and retain all existing employees in Tustin, California. John Telfer, ITI president and chief executive officer, will stay on to run ITI as a subsidiary.
“Joining forces with 3point5.com makes perfect sense to a company like ITI—we’re both experiencing a terrific amount of growth, we share a similar customer base and the crossover is a natural. Rather than asking customers to choose between us, we can now offer a far more complete range of proven web-based solutions from one source. We’re excited to work with the 3point5.com crew in the months ahead,” Telfer said.
Next year, 3point5.com will begin integrating ITI services into 3point5.com, creating one company that provides a varied menu of online services for its clients. —Megan Tompkins
