Xtend, Inc., the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, announced today that it will partner with iMakeNews, Inc. (IMN), a leading provider of email marketing services, to add a newsletter component to the menu of electronic communication services for Xtend members.

Xtend President Scott Collins announced the partnership to CUSO owners in his quarterly stockholder update.  “Over the past year we have been aggressively expanding our member communication services business we call Member Reach,” said Collins.  “This expansion has been in direct response to requests from our customer-owner focus group activities, and has primarily leveraged ongoing tool development by our partners at CU*Answers (the multi-owned core data processing CUSO also headquartered in Grand Rapids).  With this latest service offering, we are adding a new partner to the mix, one that has built a successful electronic newsletter business by delivering professional content marketing services and an advanced, easy-to-use e-newsletter technology platform.  We are excited to bring this new service to our mid-market clients and owners.”

Collins noted that the new e-newsletter service will have two levels to help credit unions better reach their members:  an aggressively priced turnkey solution that will be managed by the Xtend team on behalf of the credit union and a custom offering in which credit unions will work directly with IMN.  Collins also noted that he expects to have “two or three beta projects with members underway within the next four to six weeks.”