Act-On Software, a cloud-based marketing automation platform, recently announced its results for Q3 2011. During the quarter, Act-On added 164 new customers, an increase from 137 in Q2 2011. The company also increased annual recurring revenues by more than 400% year over year.

“We continue to experience unprecedented growth within the marketing automation industry because we deliver the experience that marketers really need, without any pricing or packaging gimmicks,” said Raghu Raghavan, Founder and CEO of Act-On Software. “Our adoption rates continue to validate the incredible demand within the Fortune 5 Million for our solution. We have grown adept at servicing the needs of agile marketing teams, and their growing and evolving needs are fully baked into our DNA. This is only the beginning of this market’s rapid evolution, and we expect to be a leader for years to come.”

Marketo today introduced Spark by Marketo, a new brand tailored for the rapidly growing small business segment. Built on the same technology foundation as Marketo’s core solution, Spark is designed as a “purpose-built” marketing automation solution with core functionality, priced for small businesses focused on accelerating immediate growth.

Designed to bring components of the company’s professional edition to a more streamlined user interface, the Spark solution is paired with training, support and mentoring services to help small businesses create cost-effective marketing campaigns. Positioned as a separate brand and offering from Marketo, Spark is reportedly priced at $750 a month for 30,000 emails per month, with no annual contract.

By Michael Shanker, CEO & Director, Extraprise

Last week, in part one of our three part series, we examined how critical it is to understand your organization’s marketing maturity when it comes to creating an effective multi-channel marketing strategy.

By Michael Shanker, CEO & Director, Extraprise

Last week, in part one of our three part series, we examined how critical it is to understand your organization’s marketing maturity when it comes to creating an effective multi-channel marketing strategy.

By Michael Shanker, CEO & Director, Extraprise

Last week, in part one of our three part series, we examined how critical it is to understand your organization’s marketing maturity when it comes to creating an effective multi-channel marketing strategy.

Silverpop recently announced the acquisition of PlacePunch, a location-based marketing platform. The partnership provides a new dimension to Silverpop’s Social Connect strategy, and is designed to help marketers drive revenue by being accessible to their customers.

In an effort to efficiently engage with customers tapping into location-based social networks, PlacePunch is designed to help BtoB marketers connect with customers via check-ins that are incorporated into multi-channel campaigns. The suite of marketing programs includes rewards programs; check-in contests; location-based offers; check-In messaging; and reporting and analytics.

Silverpop recently announced the acquisition of PlacePunch, a location-based marketing platform. The partnership provides a new dimension to Silverpop’s Social Connect strategy, and is designed to help marketers drive revenue by being accessible to their customers.

In an effort to efficiently engage with customers tapping into location-based social networks, PlacePunch is designed to help BtoB marketers connect with customers via check-ins that are incorporated into multi-channel campaigns. The suite of marketing programs includes rewards programs; check-in contests; location-based offers; check-In messaging; and reporting and analytics.

Harte-Hanks, a direct marketing services provider, recently announced the commercial availability of The Demand Curve, a new insight-driven tool for technology markets. The solution builds on core areas including professional and business marketing data management, content development, digital and social conversations, and sales and marketing funnel management.

Extraprise, a provider of revenue optimization services for BtoB and BtoC enterprises, announced a 30% increase in revenue for its i2i demand generation services in the company’s fiscal year 2011.

The company reported that strong demand for high volume, complex multi-channel marketing campaigns drove average annual contract values higher by 16%.

During fiscal year 2011, Extraprise saw increased demand for its i2i marketing service offerings, particularly in marketing operations and lead generation and nurturing.

Yesware, an email productivity service provider, recently launched its cloud-based email productivity services funded by Google Ventures, Foundry Group and several other angel investors. Yesware is a suite of productivity services including email analytics, customizable templates and CRM integration designed to help salespeople close deals in a timely manner. Yesware works in conjunction with Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle CRM among other CRM platforms.

In an effort to help sales teams better gauge prospect interest, Yesware’s tracking features are designed to report the time, frequency, location and platform of the recipient once the email is opened. Reporting is also designed to prioritize email conversations by customer engagement, offering sales greater opportunity to interact with interested prospects.