Twilio buys SendGrid for email APIs
Twilio plans to buy SendGrid in a $2 billion deal that underscores the continued importance of email in business communications and collaboration.
SendGrid makes a set of cloud-based email APIs that businesses can use for sending transactional and marketing emails to customers, such as shipping notices and sales offers. Founded in 2009, the company claims its email APIs are used to contact half of the world's digital users every three months.
Twilio's communications platform as a service supports voice, video, SMS, chat and social media channels -- but not email. SendGrid's email APIs will fill that gap, as the two companies pledged to release "a single platform for all customer engagement" after the deal closes in the first half of 2019.
The acquisition comes as Twilio looks to expand its presence in the cloud contact center market. The company released a prebuilt contact center this week, Twilio Flex. It is a first-of-its-kind offering from Twilio, which had previously only provided the developer tools for building such a service.
"Incorporating email into the omnichannel customer contact center is definitely part of the story," said Dan Miller, lead analyst and founder of Opus Research, based in San Francisco, "but it looks like SendGrid is going to be operated as a subsidiary of Twilio, and integration will have to take place over time."
Twilio also appears poised to gain access to tens of thousands of new customers through SendGrid. Together, the companies said they would serve more than 100,000 businesses, compared to Twilio's current figure of more than 40,000.
UC vendors redouble commitments to email
Over the past couple years, largely following the lead of Slack, unified communications vendors have invested in team collaboration apps -- like Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Teams -- that were supposed to reduce the need for email, especially for internal communications.
But a string of recent acquisitions proves that email will remain a valuable business communication tool for the foreseeable future.
Last month, Slack bought startup Astro, maker of a chatbot that lets users check their email and calendars from Slack. Astro also makes an AI platform that helps people prioritize email inboxes and manage calendars.
And over the summer, Facebook bought startup Redkix with the intention of integrating the technology with its business communication and collaboration platform, Workplace by Facebook. Redkix makes a platform that combines email and teams-based chat apps into a single interface.
Vendors must come to terms with the reality that email is here to stay, at least until older generations exit the workforce, said Jon Arnold, principal of Toronto-based analysis firm J Arnold & Associates.
"Right now, [email is] still just too sticky," Arnold said. "So, I think [vendors] have realized they can't just ignore those pieces if they want to get where the money is."
Source: searchunifiedcommunications
Industry news: unified communation news
Latest Jobs
-
- DevSecOpp- Security design / review consultant. SC Clearance. London
- London
- £70000
-
CH7838 London £70,000 DevSecOpp- Security design / review consultant. DevSecOpp- Security design / review consultant will ensure that newly created, public facing apps are secure by design and by default by aligning them to current / best practice security policies and standards into the design phases. The individual must have a technical software / application development background with specalist experinece in secure architecture design. (Frameworks, processes, best practice etc) Practical experience translating and ensuring that the OWASP top 10, ISO27001, HMG frameworks requirements are reviewed and embedded into project designs which are implemented is essential. Experience working projects through a full development lifecycle is key. You will work along side the design and project teams to idenitfy and mitigate risks throughout the design phases. This is a permanent role. SC clearance is essential as is the ability to get to the London office. (When appropiate #covid) Security DevSecOps consultant. To arrange a discreet call book via https://calendly.com/chris-holt/devsecopp--security-design-review-consultant
-
- SPLUNK SOC Analyst level 3, London.
- London
- N/A
-
SPLUNK SOC Analyst level 3, Must be able to commute to the City of London. Onsite role. Security clearance needed. The SPLUNK SOC Analyst level 3 must have current experience working within a SOC environment with specific experience using a range of tools and techniques to investigate security incidents. Current experience with Splunk is essential. any additional experience Individuals with Elastic Security SIEM are highly desirable. Any of the following certifications are desirable Splunk Phantom certified admin, Splunk Core Certified Power User / Advanced, Splunk Certified Enterprise Security Admin, etc The role will include, but not be limited to working with sophisticated information security tools, investigating security incidents, incident management, technical escalation, process improvement, research into the latest threats, reporting etc The individual MUST currently be living in the UK and be able to achieve UK security clearance. (SC) This is a permanent role To arrange a call with Chris Holt https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-elastic-siem-engineer-soc Chris.Holt@dclsearch.com
-
- ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist, End User
- United Kingdom
- 70000
-
CH7828 ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist, End User, £70,000 United Kingdom ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist needed to join a Cyber team within an end user. The ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist will have end to end responsibility for the information security and Business Continuity management system. ISMS/BCMS. Both from an information security and technical security perspective working alongside the CISO. Experience must include, but not be limited to; a mix of Information Security standards, frameworks, audit principles, controls / policies and the management and use of the technical tooling to achieve compliance. ISO 22301, ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework etc An ideal candidate will be working within an end user environment with a cyber consultancy background. Experience taking a company through accreditation is highly desirable Experience managing internal stakeholders, technical teams and external third parties essential Flexible working, very occasional travel to London office This is an exclusive role to DCL Search & Selection. Looking to interview immediately. https://calendly.com/chris-holt/iso-27001-business-continuity-security-specialis
-
- PCI- DSS Security Consultant, End User
- London
- £70,000
-
PCI- DSS Security Consultant needed to join a Cyber team within an end user. The PCI- DSS Security Consultant will have end to end responsibility for PCI - DSS and its continuing certification. Both from an information security and technical security perspective working alongside the CISO. Experience must include, but not be limited to; a mix of Information Security standards, frameworks, audit principles, controls / policies and the management and use of the technical tooling to achieve compliance. PCI objectives / 12 key requirements, OWASP top 10, ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework etc An ideal candidate will be working within an end user environment with a cyber consultancy background. PCI Cloud compliance, specifically someone with experience taking PCI-DSS from on premise into the cloud is HIGHLY desired. However, someone with Solid PCI experience with a strong technical background which include Cyber / Secure by design etc would be considered. Experience managing internal stakeholders and external third parties essential. Flexible working, but with the ability to get into London. This is an exclusive role to DCL Search & Selection. 1st stage interviews to happen the week of the 14th September Arrange a call with Chris on https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arrange-a-call-chris-dcl-pci-compliance