Zendesk will acquire Ultimate, a provider of service automation, allowing it to offer artificial intelligence-powered agents that are not just reactive, but proactive problem solvers, complementing human expertise. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Ultimate's AI agents automate up to 80 percent of support requests. They leverage any knowledge source and offer full customization to resolve even the most sophisticated use cases. Its automation platform integrates with any back-end system and provides robust analytics and reporting.
"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," said Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk, in a statement. "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."
"Our mission has always been to help businesses use AI to deliver joyful support experiences. We've seen 99 percent of CX organizations who adopt AI shift permanently to a hybrid human and AI agent approach," said Reetu Kainulainen, CEO and co-founder of Ultimate, in a statement. "As part of Zendesk, we now have the scale to drive this transformation for every business."