HootSuite snaps up AI chatbot firm Heyday
Acquisition targets growing need for automated systems
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Hootsuitehas continued its expansion plans with the acquisition of Heyday Technologies in a deal said to be worth $48 million.
Montreal-based Heyday is a specialist incustomer serviceautomation support, which enables businesses to handle everyday questions from customers, alongside assisting with order tracking.
The purchase could prove to be an ideal compliment to Vancouver-basedsocial mediaexperts Hootsuite. It already offers the ability for companies to monitor their social-network channels and keep tabs on what consumers are saying about their brand while providing a real time response system.
Acquiring Heyday Technologies will enable Hootsuite to make better use ofartificial intelligence(AI) due to the increasing demands of e-commerce systems and the need for more one-on-one messaging contact with customers. Hootsuite has already purchased digital customer support software-as-a-service companySparkcentralat the beginning of this year.
Both acquisitions will allow Hootsuite to offer an increased level of automated services, such aschatbotsthat can be employed to handle numerous levels of customer service automatically.
Chatbot growth
Indeed, the use of chatbots has been increasingly steadily, with a recentSalesforcereport highlighting the growth. It noted that 38% of companies were using chatbots in 2020, which revealed a 23% rise compared to 2018. The move by Hootsuite indicates the requirement for businesses to harness several technologies, including AI, in order to offer a more roundedcustomer serviceexperience.“You really can do the entire customer life cycle now, all the way through selling and support, on the social and messaging platforms,” Tom Hootsuite’s chief executive told theWall Street Journal. “With the acquisition of Heyday, we get a really strong base of AI capabilities that we’ll be able to use in social care and across the other aspects of our business."
Via:Wall Street Journal
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Rob Clymo has been a tech journalist for more years than he can actually remember, having started out in the wacky world of print magazines before discovering the power of the internet. Since he’s been all-digital he has run the Innovation channel during a few years at Microsoft as well as turning out regular news, reviews, features and other content for the likes of TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Tom’s Guide, Fit&Well, Gizmodo, Shortlist, Automotive Interiors World, Automotive Testing Technology International, Future of Transportation and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. In the rare moments he’s not working he’s usually out and about on one of numerous e-bikes in his collection.
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