Playing with the big boys now

Marketing research company Forrester Research announced the $23 million acquisition of its smaller rival JupiterResearch and its parent company JUPR Holdings.

CEO and Chairman George Colony gave the "heads up" on the acquisition from an open letter. After wishing everyone a "relaxed but productive" summer, he added that the addition of Jupiter to Forrester's Marketing & Strategy Client Group "will result in even greater value for Forrester's clients."

Forrester's Marketing & Strategy Client Group serves marketing and strategy executives (e.g. CMOs, direct marketers, consumer product specialists) with syndicated research, analysis and advice backed by proprietary data. It contributed $46.4 million in revenue to Forrester's 2007 total of $212 million.

Two years ago JupiterResearch was sold for $10.1 million in cash — and some liabilities — to JupiterKagan. Its $23 million sale to Forrester marks a tidy return on that investment.

Jupiter Research revenues totaled around $14 million. Its 82 employees will be added to to Forrester's 1,000-plus.