This just in: BuzzMetrics, a division of VNU (which owns lots of stuff, including a lot of research firms, such as Nielsen Media Research (the TV ratings folks) and Nielsen//NetRatings, one of the leading Internet audience measurement firms), has merged with (read: acquired) IntelliSeek.

IntelliSeek and BuzzMetrics have been battling it out for supremacy in the field of monitoring online consumer generated content for business intelligence. Both companies monitor, through a combination of technology and human analysts, discussions about products and trends taking place in email discussion communities, online forums, bulletin boards and the like, but since blogs came on the scene, that has really been their raison d’ê·tre.

The new company will be called Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Jonathan Carson, formerly CEO of BuzzMetrics, will take over as CEO of the new venture, while Mike Nazzaro, CEO of IntelliSeek, will be president and COO. My buddy Pete Blackshaw, CMO of IntelliSeek, get’s the dotcomish title of Chief Marketing and Customer Satisfaction Officer, while another buddy, BuzzMetric’s Max Kalehoff, will be marketing VP.

Max, formerly of Jupiter Reseach, will also be joined by his ex and future colleague Gary Stein, who started at BuzzMetrics just this week in a client service role after years as one of the most prominent analysts covering the online marketing sector at Jupiter.

Strange when the company that’s supposed to track the buzz is making the buzz. Just goes to show, in a round about way, how hot blogs are for market intelligence, as Toby was just saying.