WorldOne, a New York City-based provider of healthcare insights and intelligence data, has acquired Cambridge, Mass.-based Sermo, an online community of U.S. physicians. By acquiring Sermo, with its membership of 130,000 physicians and hundreds of clients, WorldOne is aiming to expand its interactive and digital engagement capabilities.
WorldOne says it recently launched a division aimed at leveraging emerging technologies and social applications to connect and engage healthcare professionals globally. Sermo, and its discussion and crowdsourcing platforms for physicians, will add to this, WorldOne says.
"Sermo fits in perfectly with our strategy to extend our digital footprint across healthcare market research and enhance our growing portfolio of innovative engagement solutions," Peter Kirk, CEO of WorldOne, said in a statement. "Sermo has proven that sustaining an active, engaged community can result in higher interest in and response to market research as well as new promotional opportunities."
"As Sermo grew the most vibrant online physician community in the U.S. and, more recently, provided clients more robust research and promotion opportunities, clients asked for global reach and more key specialists," Tim Davenport, CEO of Sermo, said in a statement. "WorldOne adds both of these overnight, while Sermo greatly augments WorldOne's online and interactive business."
