The deal adds more than 200 data scientists and other staff from the marketing and analytics company, which will keep its name and operate under its current management structure and leadership team. It will be known as Environics Analytics, a Bell Canada company. (The Message)

Talking point: The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal. Environics said the acquisition will support it “to grow and innovate at scale.” The Toronto- and Delaware-based company offers data, analytics and marketing services. It was founded in 2003, and Bell has been a customer since 2004. Managing director of media agency cairns oneil Tim Hughes called the deal a “very strong statement” about how Bell sees data in a world where cookies are no longer used to target advertising to consumers, as browser developers will end their support for third-party cookies in the coming years. That makes segmentation tools, such as Environics’s Prizm, more important, he said.