IBM has announced plans to acquire 7Summits, a consultancy firm that specialises in projects based on software as a service (SaaS) applications from Salesforce.
IBM said the deal, the financial terms of which have not yet been disclosed, "is part of a broader IBM investment strategy in services and ecosystem partnerships to enable our clients' digital transformations through hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI)".
Milwaukee-based 7Summits was founded in 2009 and designs and develops digital experiences with Salesforce software in order to help business improve their sales using customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
The company, which has 66 employees across Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Austin and San Francisco, will join IBM’s Global Business Services’ Salesforce division, which IBM says is facing “rising client demand” – no doubt fuelled by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
"7Summits is part of a broader IBM investment strategy in services and ecosystem partnerships to enable our clients' digital transformations through hybrid cloud and AI," said Mark Foster, senior vice president of IBM Services.
"Salesforce plays a critical role in transforming customer, employee and partner lifecycle processes into intelligent workflows that deliver accelerated business outcomes."
IBM added that, following the deal, its Global Business Services arm will significantly expand hiring, training and certifications to support key growth areas for Salesforce, including Tableau, Mulesoft, and Vlocity, while continuing to build out new Salesforce specific offerings that leverage IBM complementary capabilities and deep industry expertise.
Tyler Prince, executive vice president of Worldwide Alliances and Channels at Salesforce, commented: "Our partner ecosystem is a driving force of our growth, and the addition of 7Summits to IBM's fast-growing Salesforce business will provide even more value for our customers' digital transformations.
"The combination of both companies' Salesforce consulting and design capabilities will help businesses in any industry keep pace with rapidly changing customer expectations, helping them thrive in an increasingly digital world."
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