CheckFree Corp., an Atlanta-based financial electronic commerce services company, recently bought Aphelion Inc. for $18 million. Aphelion is a leading provider of health-club management software. Both companies have been innovators in the health and fitness industry, and are credited with advancements in the market.

This deal grows CheckFree Corp's presence in the mid-size market, and also strengthens CheckFree's health and fitness presence internationally in Europe, Canada and Asia-Pacific. The deal also brings prospective electronic funds transfer customers.

Earning expectations for this quarter remain unchanged. The acquisition is expected to contribute about $1 million in revenue for the second quarter of the fiscal year. GAAP earnings per share for fiscal 2006 remain in the range of $1.08 to $1.13.

More information on CheckFree can be found here.

.