In 2014, Verint acquired the operating assets of KANA for $514 million.[1][2]
History
Mark Gainey founded KANA, named after a rescued Shepherd-Husky mix, in 1996.[3] The purpose was to market a software package designed to help businesses manage email and Web-based communications.[4] It grew around this core offering.[5]
In 1999, KANA Communications (as it was then known) acquired Connectify[6] followed by Business Evolution and NetDialog.[7]
In 2000, KANA made its then-largest acquisition, Silknet Software. The purchase price was $4.2 billion, despite the fact that both companies were relatively small. Silknet was an early multichannel marketing software company. Industry analysts were generally cool to the purchase though some said it made sense strategically.[8]
In 2001, KANA merged with BroadBase software.[9] KANA was a major stock market success during the dot-com bubble, and while it contracted significantly during the following downturn, it remained in business as an independent company through the following decade.
In 2010, Accel-KKR acquired KANA's assets and liabilities for approximately $40.82 million.[10] The same year, KANA acquired Lagan Technologies, a government-to-citizen customer relationship management company based in Northern Ireland.[11] The software was rebranded as LAGAN Enterprise, a package that compiles information from sources such as 311 calls and map overlays to improve resource management.[12]
In 2011, KANA purchased Overtone, which allowed companies to monitor social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.[13] The software was rebranded as KANA Experience Analytics.[14]
In 2012, KANA bought Trinicom, a Dutch company that makes mid-market customer service multichannel ecommerce, especially in the BeNeLux region.[15] Less than three months later, KANA purchased Sword Ciboodle, a company that specializes in contact center software.[16] Industry analysts generally looked favorably on the acquisition; Ciboodle's established business process management gave KANA products for a full-featured CRM package for customer service with social media marketing.[14][17] "Between the two companies, almost every aspect of customer relationship experience... is covered."[18][19][20] The combined organization operates under the KANA brand. Ciboodle's CEO, Mike Hughes, who had led the company prior to its purchase by Sword, left the company after KANA's purchase was finalized. He was replaced by KANA executives.[21]
In 2013, KANA announced the KANA Enterprise product which the company marketed as "a unified platform supporting both agent-based and customer self-service scenarios".[22][23]
In 2014, Verint acquired the operating assets of KANA for $514 million.[1][2]
^Taylor, James. "First Look – Kana — JT on EDM." JT on EDM — James Taylor on Everything Decision Management. EDM, 10 Aug. 2010. Web. 26 Aug. 2011. <http://jtonedm.com/2010/08/24/first-look-kana/>.
^"KANA Software Acquires Ciboodle The deal brings together two customer service solution providers". CRM.com/ a division of CRM Magazine. July 10, 2012.
^Myers, Anthony (July 12, 2012). "Kana Software Goes All In on Customer Service with Ciboodle Acquisition". CMS Wire. Retrieved 4 July 2013. Luckily for companies who do business with either, they'll now be doing business with both because Kana has now acquired Ciboodle. Between the two companies, almost every aspect of customer relationship experience, web customer service and customer engagement is covered.
