MessageBird, the omnichannel cloud communications platform not too long ago valued at $3 billion, is constant to ramp up its M&A exercise. Following final 12 months’s acquisition of Pusher, an organization that gives real-time internet applied sciences, it’s saying that it has acquired “video-first” buyer engagement platform 24periods, and buyer knowledge platform Hull.
Terms of the 2 new offers aren’t being disclosed, though MessageBird founder and CEO Robert Vis tells me the three acquisitions add up to about $100 million in whole, and we alreadly know that Pusher’s acquisition value was $35 million. I additionally perceive that the 24periods and Hull acquisitions noticed each firms’ traders exit fully.
Originally seen as a European or “rest of the world” competitor to U.S.-based Twilio — providing a cloud communications platform that helps voice, video and textual content capabilities all wrapped up in an API — MessageBird has since repositioned itself as an “Omnichannel Platform-as-a-Service” (OPaaS). The thought is to simply allow enterprises and medium and smaller-sized firms to talk with clients on any channel of their selecting.
Out of the field, this consists of assist for WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, Twitter, Line, Telegram, SMS, electronic mail and voice. Customers can begin on-line after which transfer their assist request or question over to a extra handy channel, reminiscent of their favorite cellular messaging app, which, after all, can go along with them. It’s all a part of MessageBird Vis’ large guess that the way forward for buyer interactions is omni-channel.
To that finish, the acquisition of 24periods provides one other channel: video. This, Vis tells me, is a very necessary channel the place in-person interactions are being replicated digitally. However, he says it’s not simply sufficient to have a video choice — you want one that’s compliant and safe. This is particularly true for regulated industries reminiscent of monetary providers and healthcare. In addition, 24periods is web-based, which means that end-users aren’t required to set up an app.
“Bringing a safe, secure and customizable video platform into the MessageBird family is the next step in our strategic journey,” stated Vis in a press release. “Our portfolio of owned services already includes SMS, voice, email, OTT, social, live chat and push. The addition of 24sessions’ video platform gives us one of the world’s most comprehensive and powerful omnichannel offerings, and is consistent with our having end-to-end control of the stack in order to create magical experiences for our customers”.
“By joining forces with MessageBird, we’re making a leap forward in our mission to improve personal customer contact and turn it into a smooth digital experience, without losing the human touch,” provides Rutger Teunissen, CEO of 24periods. “Video has become a more embedded, instant, intelligent, and integrated part of the omnichannel customer experience”.
However, speaking with clients extra effectively doesn’t simply imply interacting with them on the channels of their selecting and constructing backend workflows to assist this, it additionally requires a greater understanding of the shopper and the context of their question. That’s the place the acquisition of Hull, primarily based in France and the U.S., comes into play.
Described as a buyer knowledge platform (CDP), Hull’s workforce and expertise might be deployed to create an “in-depth analytics layer” between MessageBird’s omnichannel providing and the workflow options it gives to clients.
“We want to empower clients to have easy, frictionless conversations with customers, so it’s crucial that we understand where those customers are and how they like to communicate,” stated Vis. “To do that, it’s crucial that our platform is able to collect, unify and enrich product, marketing, and sales data and synchronize it across the workflow.”
In whole, 45 employees will be part of from 24periods, and 14 will be part of from Hull. The mixed M&A brings MessageBird’s whole headcount to nearly 500 individuals throughout its 9 hubs globally.
