Nielsen Closes on Telephia Deal

Ratings Giant Acquires Mobile-Media-Measurement Firm

By Glen Dickson & John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/10/2007 11:08:00 AM

Ratings giant Nielsen completed its acquisition of Telephia, a San Francisco-based firm that specializes in measure media usage on mobile platforms.

The move boosts Nielsen’s profile in the increasingly important area of mobile-media research. Nielsen already has a mobile-measurement division, but the established Telephia brand wins out, with the recently launched Nielsen Wireless to be folded into Telephia, which remains based in San Francisco.

New York-based Nielsen said Sid Gorham will continue to serve as Telephia’s president and CEO, reporting to Nielsen executive vice president Susan Whiting.

Terms of the deal, which was announced in late June, were not disclosed. Telephia, which launched in 1989, currently serves more than 100 clients in the United States, Canada and Europe from all sectors of the telecommunications and mobile-media markets, including mobile operators, device manufacturers, retailers, infrastructure vendors, investment analysts and content providers.

“Telephia’s cutting-edge mobile-content research and measurement complement our existing activities and expand our capabilities in the rapidly evolving telecom and mobile-media markets," Whiting said in a statement. "This is a strategic, high-growth opportunity that will enable us to expand the reach of Telephia’s core measurement services and provide more comprehensive consumer insights to clients around the world.”