IBM snaps up cloud CRM company Optevia
March 21, 2016
Shah Sheikh (1294 articles)
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IBM snaps up cloud CRM company Optevia

IBM has bought Optevia, a UK-based systems integrator specializing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM for the public sector.

Optevia will join IBM Global Business Services, where IBM says it will help meet the increasing demand for software as a service CRM offerings in the public sector. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Optevia has been working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM since 2004 and has racked up 200 public sector customers since then.

Last year Optevia scored what it described as two major G-cloud Framework wins with the Ministry of Justice and UK Supreme Court, both placing orders for Dynamics CRM case management systems, while the company said it had doubled in size over the past two years. Other customers in the last couple of years have included the Department of Education, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and a number of councils.

IBM said world-wide CRM spending is around $23bn, with cloud-based packages likely to account for half of that. Joanna Davinson, IBM’s Europe public sector leader, said: “This strategic acquisition will help strengthen IBM as a SaaS provider and global software integrator.”

IBM said the acquisition will allow it to use Optevia’s offerings across other areas worldwide “where Optevia’s software, assets and highly skilled, industry-focused workforce, coupled with their expertise will significantly increase IBM’s current capabilities”.

Source | ZDNET