Austin Logistics: Helping companies deal with tough times

Austin Logistics got its start about 15 years. And, perhaps the company was ahead of its time. You see, Austin Logistics is a leader in so-called event-based analytics solutions (EBAS).

It's a mouthful, but it's also a growth business. Essentially, EBAS analyzes customer interactions so as to boost profitability. And the focus is primarily on the collection of debts.

Well, this week Austin Logistics secured a third round of venture capital (the amount was not disclosed). The investors include Baird Venture Partners, Apex Venture Partners, Total Technology Ventures, and North Hill Ventures.

Moreover, Austin Logistics hired a new CEO, John Carreker III (prior to this, he was an executive vice president and managing director of Carreker Corporation, which was sold to Checkfree in 2007).

Keep in mind that Austin Logistics' technology can essentially predict -- in real-time -- the odds of an opportunity or the risk of an interaction (called Decision IQ). For example, in one case the system helped a company reduce charge-offs by $10 million (in a single portfolio). In another situation, there was a $1.8 million cost savings with collections.

No doubt, with the subprime mess and other credit implosions over the past year, there is certainly a big-time need for Austin Logistic's offerings.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.