will end Experian's direct involvement in running outsourced databases. Sky will remain the largest client of the database business at the same time as investing in supplying the services that it uses.
It will affect 191 Experian staff, who learned last Tuesday that they will be transferring to a new company controlled by Sky as the majority sharedholder when the transaction completes on 30 June.
It is too early to discuss details such as whether staff will have to move to new offices, according to Hodgkins. Experian and Sky are currently working through the TUPE employment regulations that apply in this situation.
Staff are currently spread out around the country in Nottingham, Luton, Bristol and London, as well as on-site with clients.
Experian claims that clients have reacted "positively" to the move and suggested they can avail themselves of the media services offered by Sky alongside the data services provided by the new, as yet unnamed, company.
Bringing Sky in is the right solution for Experian, argued Hodgkins, because the hosted database business needed an "additional edge" in its marketplace and because of Experian's own strategic goals.
He pointed out the business is different from others within Experian's portfolio, such as Mosaic and Cheetahmail, in that it is closer to an agency model, with a large number of people serving fewer, larger clients over a long contract period.
It was better to put these contracts, which are estimated to amount to a single-digit percentage of Experian Marketing Services revenues, into a separate business.
Hogkins said: "When we got talking to Sky there was excitement about being able to run that business within an environment where it was closely linked to Sky's multichannel media capabilities."
However, that idea does not appear to be endorsed by Sky, which declined to comment on the joint venture.
It is understood that the joint venture will not be a gateway to Sky's media offering and nor will clients be able to access Sky's customer data.
Sky is understood to have invested primarily with the motivation of ensuring the continuity and security of its relationship with its database supplier. It is not planning any short-term changes but has long-term aim of shaping the business so it is better attuned to its needs.
Asked why Experian decided not to sell off the business completely, Hodgkins said: "Because we want to have an interest in it and Sky want to have Experian as a partner, because we bring our data, our analytics and tools that Sky and some clients use. There is a good opportunity to work with these clients, who are often big data clients of ours, to continue using our services."
It remains to be seen what clients think of the new arrangements but, in conclusion, Hodgkins suggests another reason they would be happy to stay is that the joint venture will be headed by Duncan Painter, who recruited many of them to Experian during his time as Hodgkins' predecessor.