Acxiom Acquires Harbinger Technologies Group

Little Rock-based Acxiom® Corporation announced it has acquired Harbinger Technologies Group, an ICx Technologies Company based in McLean, Va., with an office in Starkville, Miss. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Harbinger Technologies is an international consulting and technology firm that develops software tools and training programs for personnel involved in homeland defense, national security and the prevention of international terrorism. Acxiom will use Harbinger’s best-in-class technologies and specialized expertise to help commercial clients expand internationally while Harbinger will expand Acxiom’s award-winning products and services to the federal government intelligence and law enforcement markets.

"Harbinger Technologies and its team of experts and consultants will be invaluable to Acxiom and our clients," said Charles D. Morgan, Acxiom company leader. "This acquisition is a natural extension in our growth strategy for Acxiom’s risk mitigation business."

Harbinger’s almost 50 employees will become Acxiom associates and will create centers of excellence for intelligence and law enforcement in Virginia and Mississippi. Harbinger’s leadership will join Acxiom, including Chief Executive Officer Jeff Chapman, former intelligence officer and co-founder of the company, and President Ahmed Qureshi, company co-founder and a former intelligence officer.

"We are excited to join forces with Acxiom’s leadership and create best practices and innovative solutions for our customers," Chapman said. "Our combined knowledge of the risk industry and national security opportunities will be a tremendous asset to federal, state and local law enforcement officials."

Harbinger’s suite of technical products solves major national security challenges by extracting and validating intelligence derived from foreign languages. The commercial application of the software supports economic growth for Acxiom’s clients by allowing them access to a single worldwide platform from which to launch customer recognition applications with speed and accuracy heretofore unavailable. Harbinger consultants work closely with clients to integrate these products into existing user interfaces and grid environments. Acxiom will use Harbinger’s software to resolve multiple representations of people, places and things for the benefit of clients.

"Acxiom and Harbinger have been working together for more than a year assisting the intelligence community and federal law enforcement agencies by applying the best commercially available technologies to the challenge of identity resolution," said Rick McGraw, Acxiom Federal Government Leader. "The combination of Acxiom technologies and Harbinger’s subject matter expertise provides the means to properly assess risk in a legally compliant, privacy-assured environment."