Fox & Associates Aquisition

In June 2007 Encode Inc., a Premier Value Added reseller and integrator of IBM messaging, security, portal and data solutions, aquired Fox & Associates, a Long Beach-based EDI systems integrator. Rebecca Fox, founder of Fox & Associates, and the existing technical team will comprise the initial core of Encodes newly formed Data Transformation Practice with Rebecca Fox functioning as its Principal Architect. Existing clients of both companies will now benefit from the full range and depth of the combined company's extensive technical knowledge and industry expertise.

Encode has been a trusted services partner with IBM since 1998. During this time Encode has focused on developing deep technical expertise architecting, installing and integrating IBM WebSphere, Tivoli, Lotus and Data solutions for large enterprise and small to mid-sized businesses. "By joining the complementary strengths of Fox & Associates and Encode, we can more efficiently provide both sets of customers with a total enterprise messaging and data transformation product stack with IBM's WebSphere Suite which now includes Transformation Extender V8.1," according the senior management of the combined integration powerhouse. The terms of the acquisition was finalized on April 23, 2007.

Fox & Associates, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., was established by Rebecca Fox in 1986. The firm specialized in electronic data interchange (EDI) and electronic commerce for companies using Mercator's DataStageTX. It also provided Mercator DataStage TX training, implementation, mapping services, application integration and outsourcing services for TX users. The firm had been an Authorized Reseller and Consultant for Mercator Software since 1993, and its client list includes Fortune 500 companies across several industries, including retail, healthcare, entertainment and insurance. For more information on Fox & Associates, please see www.foxassociates.net.

To learn more about what Rebecca is doing visit her new Encode TX Blog, where she provides current and relevant information on the TX application and related topics that intersect with the technologies and practices of system integration, standards and best business practices of TX implementations.

Encode management is very much committed to IBM's technology roadmap. It has chosen to differentiate itself by developing or acquiring the necessary expertise to remain at the forefront of high quality service delivery across IBM's range of software solutions.