Interactive Intelligence, Inc. (ININ) was a telecommunications software and cloud developer acquired by Genesys, a customer experience company, in December 2016 for $1.4 billion. The company was best known for its unified business communications solutions for call centers, enterprise IP telephony and business process automation. After the Genesys acquisition, products were consolidated into the PureCloud, PureConnect and PureEngage customer engagement platforms.
History
In October 1994, Donald E. Brown and David Stonehouse founded the startup company Interactive Intelligence in Indianapolis, Indiana. Donald became the company's President and chief executive officer in 1995 and developed communication systems integration with informational technology. By 1997, Interactive Intelligence was the first to market an all-in-one customer engagement software suite. The company held its initial public offering (IPO) in October 1999 and expected to earn more than $29 million. During this time, Interactive Intelligence had strategic partnerships with other telecommunications companies, such as HP, IBM, Microsoft, Polycom and Salesforce.com. By 2009, the company had developed communications-as-a-service (CaaS) and cloud solutions for contact centers.
Interactive Intelligence acquired AcroSoft Corp., a provider of insurance content management solutions, in 2009. In 2010, the company purchased Latitude Software, a debt collection software and services provider. Interactive Intelligence acquired both Agori Communications, a German-based reseller of its multichannel contact center solutions, and CallTime, an Australian-based reseller, in 2011. In August 2012, Interactive Intelligence acquired Bay Bridge Decision Technologies, a developer of capacity planning and strategic analysis technology. Interactive Intelligence acquired OrgSpan, a software development company focused on social and business communication, in 2014.
During the summer of 2016, the company's stock prices rose as it was reported that Interactive Intelligence was exploring a potential sale. In August 2016, it was announced that the customer experience company, Genesys, was set to acquire Interactive Intelligence for $1.4 billion. The acquisition was completed in December 2016 and all Interactive Intelligence products and services integrated with Genesys.
Products
The company's core product offering was the Interaction Center Platform, which centralized multi-channel business interactions and business processes. This platform could be delivered as either a premises or hosted (communications-as-a-service) offering. In addition to its software, Interactive Intelligence also provided add-on professional services, support, and education for its product line.
Genesys developed a customer experience platform portfolio from Interactive Intelligence technology. PureCloud is a contact center as a service (CCaaS) cloud platform that managed customer communication with comprehensive features. PureConnect is a customer interaction center (CIC) that integrates customer engagement functionality in one application. PureEngage is an omnichannel customer engagement for large organizations.
Philanthropy
In 2010, Interactive Intelligence announced its non-profit corporation, Interactive Intelligence Foundation, to assist at-risk youth. The Foundation raised funds to promote technology education for youth in Indiana and outside the United States. It hosted an annual gala and silent auction as part of its fundraising activities.
Awards and recognition
Interactive Intelligence was recognized as a "market leader" by industry analyst firms such as Datamonitor, Frost & Sullivan, and Gartner. The company was recognized on Software Magazine's Top 500 Software and Services Companies" list for 12 consecutive years. It was also ranked #8 on Forbes 2011 list of "America's 100 Best Small Companies." Interactive Intelligence's acquisition by Genesys was recognized as "largest tech-company acquisition" since 2013.
References
External links
- Official website
- Interactive Intelligence Foundation
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