Assets of stricken data management firm sold

Administrators have agreed a deal for the key assets of data management business UKChanges, which collapsed last month.

Some 30 jobs were lost at Warwick-based UKChanges when it was forced into administration.

The business was founded as Direct Select in 1991 providing telephone numbers to call centres and market research agencies. It rebranded as UKChanges in 2001, just after launching the UK’s first online data cleaning application, and it continued its evolution into a data cleaning and enrichment specialist.

However “difficult market conditions exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis” resulted in Conrad Beighton and Neil Bennett from Leonard Curtis’s Birmingham office being appointed as joint administrators on April 20.

Data and insight company REaD Group has now acquired UK Changes’ assets in a move which it believes will “create the perfect blend of market leading technology and data”.

REaD Group said: “We are, of course, saddened by the liquidation of UKChanges, however, the opportunity to acquire these technically excellent platforms could not be overlooked.”

The London-based group has taken over ownership and management of UKChanges’ assets, including its data management platforms, ukc>online and ukc>connect.

It added: “The combination of these first-class platforms and REaD’s unparalleled data and seamless API connectivity creates a unique offering for UK businesses and marketers.

“The acquisition accelerates our development plans to provide seamless access to our broadening portfolio of assets giving both our existing and new customers greater choice and capability with which to deliver their campaigns.”