Syntra Buys Database Firm

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 1/1/1999

Until now, merger mania had bypassed the so-called niche players in the logistics software market--companies that provide specialized packages such as import/export software. But that changed this past month when New York City-based Syntra announced that it would acquire RegData Inc. of Mount Vernon, Wash.

RegData provides customers with daily updates of international trade regulations and laws via the Web, through customized intranet sites, and by electronic mail. It also developed the Restricted Parties List System, a software application that automates the process of comparing lists of parties whose export trade privileges are denied or limited by law with existing customer databases.

Syntra, for its part, sells software and services for international trade. Its software, Global Logistics Systems, automates the steps involved in exporting and importing.