Zendesk to acquire AI services provider Ultimate

Global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform Zendesk will acquire German generative artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Ultimate at an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is anticipated to close this month only upon completion of customary closing conditions, the company said in a statement.

With this acquisition, Zendesk aims to pioneer a comprehensive AI-driven customer experience (CX) solution in the market. As the demand for AI technologies escalates and reshapes customer engagement dynamics, Zendesk plans to redefine customer support strategies with this acquisition.

As per the company, the forthcoming AI agents, empowered by Ultimate's expertise, are anticipated to boost conventional bot functionalities, positioning themselves as proactive problem-solvers. Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk, said, “AI is the future of CX and the next generation of AI agents are not just a tool, but a necessary and fundamental shift in how businesses will engage with their customers. 

“With Ultimate, we will help our customers set a new standard, with AI agents giving customers the support they need quickly and effortlessly. This means human agents can focus on what they do best: building relationships, resolving complex challenges, and applying innovation and creativity to move businesses forward,” he added. 

Ultimate's AI agents have an impressive automation rate of up to 80% for support requests, offering unparalleled customisation and integration capabilities with diverse backend systems. Through this acquisition, Zendesk will provide companies with flexible solutions tailored to their unique support needs, whether through autonomous AI agents, workflow automation, or human intervention.

“Our mission has always been to help businesses use AI to deliver joyful support experiences. We’ve seen 99% of CX organisations who adopt AI shift permanently to a hybrid human and AI agent approach,” said Reetu Kainulainen, CEO and co-founder of Ultimate. “As part of Zendesk, we now have the scale to drive this transformation for every business.”

Industry experts have also lauded Zendesk's strategic move, emphasizing the potential for AI agents to revolutionise customer service standards. Daniel Newman, CEO of The Futurum Group, also highlighted Ultimate's capacity to address intricate service use cases, underlining Zendesk's position as a frontrunner in deploying AI technologies for enhancing customer experiences.

This acquisition follows the successful launch of Zendesk AI, which has witnessed unprecedented adoption rates. By integrating Ultimate's capabilities with its existing AI-powered solutions, Zendesk aims to offer a holistic CX platform that not only enhances customer experiences but also drives service quality and business growth.