Harte-Hanks Introduces New Component of its Ci Technology Database - The 'Ci Business Database'

October 9, 2007; 08:47 AM

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Harte-Hanks (NYSE:HHS), a worldwide direct and targeted marketing company, announced today that it is now making available a component of its long-standing Ci Technology Database (CiTDB) as a business-to-business data offering in North America, the Harte-Hanks Ci Business Database (CiBDB).

The CiBDB includes telephone-verified contact information at approximately 465,000 U.S. and Canadian business locations incorporating more than 60 business functions, among them president, general manager, and senior leaders in finance, sales, marketing, human resources and purchasing.  

"We make more than 50,000 calls to businesses and institutions each month to keep our database up-to-date," said Randy Wussler, managing director, market intelligence, Harte-Hanks.  "During the past several years, we've begun asking for and tracking business contacts – as well as IT [information technology] platforms and contacts – as so many purchase decisions today involve others outside IT departments.  Working with our new list management firm, Worldata, we're now packaging this information for marketplace use for carefully screened offers and communications."

Worldata of Boca Raton, FL, will assume list management responsibilities for the Harte-Hanks Ci Business Database, and will continue to manage the Harte-Hanks Ci Technology Database.

"With all the changes going on in business today – promotions, relocations, consolidations, mergers and acquisitions – we know that business contacts and titles change even more often, and through our extensive telephone research, we're able to keep pace with professional changes," Wussler said.  "In a world where relevancy and timing matter more than ever in sales and marketing, the CiBDB represents a timely data source worth testing."

While CiTDB subscribers have automatic access to CiBDB data, non-subscribers now can access selections of the data for mail, telephone and e-mail marketing purposes by contacting either Harte-Hanks at (800) 854-8409 (extension 1) or Worldata at (800) 331-8102.

About Harte-Hanks

Harte-Hanks is a worldwide direct and targeted marketing company that provides marketing services and shopper advertising opportunities to local, regional, national and international consumer and business-to-business marketers.  Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing improves return on its clients' marketing investment by increasing their prospect and customer value – a process of "customer optimization" –organized around five strategic considerations:  Information (data collection/management) — Opportunity (data access/utilization) — Insight (data analysis/interpretation) — Engagement (knowledge application) — Interaction (program execution).  Expert in integrating this process, Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing is highly skilled at tailoring solutions for each of the vertical markets it serves.  Visit the Harte-Hanks Web site at http://www.harte-hanks.com or call (800) 456-9748.

Every month the Harte-Hanks market intelligence team completes telephone-based interviews with more than 50,000 information technology (IT) buyers and influencers to build the CiTDB, the largest and most in-depth business technology database of its kind.  The database monitors installed technology and spending plans at nearly 700,000 business, government and institutional sites in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America that account for the majority of all global IT spending.  Recently, the CiTDB has begun collecting enhanced telecommunications content including VoIP, wireless, and mobile computing.  This technology content is combined with the tracking of 1.5 million IT decision makers and chief-level executives, allowing CiTDB customers to find their opportunity and to act on it with the right decision maker efficiently and effectively.  Visit http://www.hartehanksmi.com.