Consolidation has come to the trade promotion management software industry: Kirkland-based Kineticsware is announcing that it acquired Flintfox, a big TMP player based in Auckland, N.Z.

Flintfox's software will broaden the Kineticsware suite, and Flintfox Chief Executive Mike Ridgway will become managing director of Asia Pacific for Kineticsware.

The combined company will have 141 customers and operations in 12 countries in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe. They have a total of 38 employees - Kineticsware has 12 in Kirkland, plus six open positions and 16 employees elsewhere; Flintfox has 10 in Auckland.

Kineticsware offers consumer goods companies a Microsoft .NET-based management system that integrates with ERP systems and Microsoft Dynamics.

"Significant margin impact from skyrocketing raw materials costs such as wheat and oil have driven consumer goods companies of all sizes to explore ways to protect their margins in the contractual trading relationship with their retailers,'' Kineticsware Chief Executive Jeff Sampson said in the release. "With this acquisition, Kineticsware increases the breadth of its functionality to support the entire lifecycle of a trade promotion from budgeting, planning, execution and settlement to monitoring and analysis. Our customers can take control of fragmented trade promotion processes and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of trade spending without requiring them to replace their existing ERP platform."