2Touch has been acquired by Parseq

May 2014 — Acxiom Corporation, an enterprise data, analytics and software-as-a-service company, has announced the sale of its UK call center operation, 2Touch Ltd., to Parseq plc, a leading European business process outsourcing service provider. The divestment is part of Acxiom’s strategy to focus on growing its core marketing technology business.

2Touch, an outsourcing company, provides multi-channel contact center, response handling and fulfillment services for businesses in the UK. Based in Sunderland, UK, the company offers call center services, including inbound and outbound telephony services used for customer lifecycle, customer acquisition, customer service, customer growth and customer retention. Its services also include warehousing and fulfillment services, such as order fulfillment center, pick and pack, warehousing and storage and e-fulfillment services. In addition, it provides back office processing services, including mail order, applications forms, questionnaires, surveys, charity donation cards, white mail, email, SMS, goneaways and IVR solutions.

Parseq offers end-to-end business process outsourcing services. It operates in the space between multinational outsourcers and service line outsourcers, differentiating itself through the quality and longevity of the relationships it builds with its clients, which include the top ten international banks, utility providers, insurance companies and leading charities.

Acxiom, with revenues of over US$1 billion, is an enterprise data, analytics and software-as-a-service (SAAS) company that drives data-driven marketing results for corporate clients worldwide. 2Touch, a subsidiary of Acxiom, is a premier UK-based technology-enabled outsourcing service provider specializing in multi-channel contact center, response handling and fulfillment solutions for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in the world. Acxiom operates in three segments: marketing and data services, IT infrastructure management and other services. The marketing and data services segment is involved in data sourcing, data activation through analytics, integration and enhancement, building and managing customer marketing databases and partner integration, as well as the application of insights to the range of business applications. The IT infrastructure management segment provides mainframe, server hosting and cloud computing services and it is also engaged in processing intensive database environments and maintaining secure IT environments. The other services segment provides outsourced call center operations and email services. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, the company was founded in 1969 and serves the financial services, insurance, information services, direct marketing, retail, consumer packaged goods, technology, automotive, healthcare, travel and communications industries, as well as the non-profit and government sectors.

Our role in the transaction

Oaklins Cavendish, one of Oaklins’ member firms in the UK, advised Acxiom Corporation on the sale of its UK call center operation, 2Touch, to Parseq. Financial details have not been disclosed.