CRM company Merkle has acquired San-Francisco based mobile solutions provider 5th Finger in an on-going strategy to expand its mobile capabilities.

5th Finger, which was originally founded in Australia, delivers mobile solutions to blue-chip retailers, such as Jos. A. Bank, and leading healthcare companies through its proprietary RedShop Mobile technology.

According to Merkle, the addition of 5th Finger's RedShop Technology will bring better customer engagement, customer value and conversion to support the true integration of mobile commerce, marketing and CRM.

David Williams, chairman and CEO of Merkle, said: “The addition of 5th Finger's mobile solutions to the Merkle family will present our clients with new tools and expertise in consumer mobile marketing. 5th Finger's unique hybrid of being a traditional mobile agency and deep technology platform provider will help expand Merkle's capabilities to meet the changing landscape of marketing fueled by the evolution of the mobile space.”

5th Finger CEO, Patrick Collins, added: “We can now bring 5th Finger's customers a deeper, more analytics driven mobile solution, which aligns with our vision of delivering increasingly relevant, engaging and successful mobile programs to market for our clients.

“With Merkle's extensive client-base, a marriage between our two businesses feels very natural. I am excited to continue our rapid growth and to leverage the Merkle brand to attract the best mobile talent in the industry.”

Following the acquisition, 5th Finger will continue to be a capability brand, positioned within the company's Digital Solutions Group.