Six Apart acquires Apperceptive, fires up client-centric strategy

Blogging software company Six Apart has announced a new "social media services" strategy that involves a new satellite office in New York, the acquisition of social-media consulting and development firm Apperceptive, and a new initiative to "provide new advertising, design, implementation, development and site optimization services to bloggers and companies of all sizes."

In other words, the company is moving beyond simply providing software, entering the lucrative business of bringing clients into gear with that whole "Web 2.0" thing that all the cool kids are talking about.

Six Apart, which operates blogging platforms TypePad, Movable Type, and Vox, has been working with Apperceptive on development and design projects for the past two years. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

TechCrunch reported on Saturday that Six Apart had made a "significant" acquisition but couldn't name the company getting bought. Well, it's not quite that exciting, but Commenter #156 did answer correctly when TechCrunch's Michael Arrington offered a free iPod Shuffle to the first person who correctly guessed the company.

With the acquisition, Six Apart will develop social media applications (e.g. a presence on the Facebook platform) for clients. In addition, the company has started offering premium advertising services to high-traffic bloggers and community sites, "blog optimization" consulting, design and development services, and a VIP support program for "influential bloggers."

The company's new office in New York, the hub of the advertising industry, is in the new-media-heavy SoHo neighborhood.