In their own ways, both Southwest Airlines and Rearden Commerce had the one million mark in their sights.
Southwest says it became the first airline to attract one million Facebook fans and it is gunning for more.
The airline ran an exclusive Facebook fan page promotion, offering triple Rapid Rewards credits for flights booked Dec. 1 for travel during December. With the promotion, members can earn a free flight after three round-trips, the airline says.
And, of course, the Facebook exclusive was geared to bring Southwest additional Facebook fans and Rapid Rewards members. The airline was offering Facebook fans who decide to enroll in Rapid Rewards up to five credits in addition to the triple credit offer.
Meanwhile, Rearden Commerce, a largely business to business eCommerce platform geared for corporate travel and other business services, acquired Ketera Technologies -- an online spend-management solution, which claims to have a network of nearly 1 million business buyers and suppliers.
Rearden CEO Patrick Grady says combining the Rearden and Ketera solutions will enable clients to utilize a single solution to "enforce corporate policies and govern spend across T & E (Travel & Entertainment), business services and supply."
Ketera offers sourcing, contract management, procurement invoicing and spend analytics solutions to buyers and sellers, Rearden says.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Although it has little to do with the respective news from Southwest and Rearden today, it is worth pointing out that Rearden and Southwest are fans of one another.
No, Rearden doesn't have 1 million Facebook fans and doesn't even have a Facebook presence to speak of.
Instead, Southwest and Rearden express their mutual admiration through a partnership.
Mutual customers can use the Rearden Personal Assistant to access Southwest data for flight bookings.