Transaction volume relating to customer relations software increased 33 percent between 2010 and 2011, from 67 to 89 transactions. There have been several notable transactions thus far in 2012 as well.
Most recently, IBM announced its acquisition of Tealeaf Technology. Tealeaf, with its array of analytics software, allows marketers to gain additional insight as to how customers interact with business websites. With this knowledge, companies are better positioned to improve their digital marketplace and therefore the online consumer experience. One key goal behind acquiring Tealeaf is for IBM to build momentum behind its “Smarter Commerce” initiative.
A few days before the announced acquisition of Tealeaf, Intuit announced its acquisition of Demandforce for $423 million. Demandforce enables small and medium sized businesses to automate their marketing and customer communications. Intuit believes Demandforce’s SaaS model will help them grow their customer base and revenue per customer.
Also of note, Facebook acquired another mobile company in April besides Instagram. Tagtile, a startup, is a more traditional type of acquisition for Facebook. Tagtile is used by businesses to increase their number of repeat purchasers. Consumers can download an iOS or Andoid app to pay for purchases, which allows them to earn loyalty points. Business owners benefit by collecting data that allows them to engage in specialized direct marketing campaigns.
