HootSuite Buys Seesmic to Woo Enterprise Social Media Users
HootSuite, a social network management specialist, has acquired rival cross-platform social account management app maker Seesmic for an undisclosed amount. With the buy, the company welcomes a coveted user group to the HootSuite ecosystem: more enterprise customers.
In a blog post announcing the deal, Jordan Behan says the move puts HootSuite's management tools “into the hands of even more social media business users” and describes it as “a logical step in the lifecycle of both companies, who have shared many similarities since they were founded four years ago.”
Boosting Social's Enterprise Appeal
Over the years, HootSuite's popular social media products portfolio has steadily evolved into a social CRM platform. Social media analytics, campaign management, workflow management and geo-targeting, are among the business-friendly features the company uses to entice enterprise users and marketing professionals.
Naturally, users can also use the company's Web-based dashboard to manage and update Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn accounts. HootSuite has the social mobile market covered with apps for iOS, Android and Blackberry. The company also owns the popular Ow.ly URL shortening service.
Since its founding in 2008, HootSuite has grown to 4 million users. The company claims that a majority of the Fortune 100 — 79 big businesses in total — use Hootsuite's products.
Sunset for Seesmic
While HootSuite enjoys a windfall of new business users, Seesmic's days appear to be numbered.
For now, the plan is to continue to support Seesmic while its business clientele is transitioned to HootSuite's toolset. Meanwhile, HootSuite strongly hints that users of Seesmic's consumer-grade products will want to start looking for alternatives.
“Consumer users of Seesmic are encouraged to explore new tools, apps and features available at Twitter.com,” writes Behan.
Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.
Pedro Hernandez contributes to Enterprise Apps Today, and 11Press, the technology network. He was previously the managing editor of Internet.com, an IT-related website network. He has expertise in Smart Tech, CRM, and Mobile Tech, Helping Banks and Fintechs, Telcos and Automotive OEMs, and Healthcare and Identity Service Providers to Protect Mobile Apps.
